Love, loyalty, and lead
by NCR Ranger
Summary: Tani's disovery at Adam's house, her love for Junior, and the connections Adam had in the Yakuza are about to met in a fierce and deadly mix
1. Chapter 1

After putting up with his daily morning dose of Danno Williams's verbal abuse , Steve McGarrett had never been more grateful for the tranquil silence that the Palace offered, as he entered his office to begin another day.

He'd spent at least 20 minutes today, going back and worth with Danno over the principle of cleaning up dust from the floor of their _still_ -not-up-and-running restaruant. Steve, being the more sensible of the two, had tried to be patient, explaining to his collegue why any cleaning-espeically dusting- could wait until they'd gotten the establishment up and running, and that all the work being done to get this place to that point would just undo any cleaning done anyway.

That had ultimately not stopped Danno at all. He'd just gotten more into his own spiel, berating Steve for being so blase about keeping ' their ' establisment ( which wasn't really that established to speak of, technically ) in good condition, and had proceeded to launch into an impressive tirade on why that was important.

Or, at least Steve had assumed it was important. Halfway through it, he'd stopped Danno by promising he'd get a broom from the back supply cuboard to pitch in, seemingly gone to get it, and had instead slipped out through one of the rear doors and left alltogether.

 _SEALS aren't trained to be covert operators for nothing._

With a wide and smug smirk fixed on his face at having gotten out of there so smoothly, Steve had made a quick detour home to make himself some coffee, and then went on to arrive at the Palace, all while making sure that his phone stayed off. Having ring ( or shudder, if he turned the sound off ) nonstop as Danno tried to call him would be intolerably annoying.

As if actually answering the phone would be any less irratating.

 _Getting yelled at by that guy is just as bad over the phone as it is face to face. Why did I ask him to be on the Task Force anyway ? Not sure I'll ever know_

 _Ah, well, When he eventually gets here, he'll have calmed down. Working a case always smoothes out any rifts for a cop. He can't stop himself_

Well, now that he'd actually gotten into his office, coffee in hand, closing the door and sitting at his desk Steve _finally_ felt relaxed that morning.

Nobody else from the team had arrived yet ( which was a interesting change from that time he'd stumbled upon that little intimate scene between the new kids a while ago ), and for the moment, Steve had the HQ to himself. He reclined slightly in his chair ( which was only lightly padded so he didn't get too comfortable and risk falling asleep if he happened to be working while burning the midnight oil ), and took another sip of his pleasantly still hot coffee, making a point, as always, to savor the burn it left as it went down.

There just wasn't any time like morning, or hot quality coffee, for getting your head into the game.

The sun had risen a little further, and now its rays were lighting up the offices. It was partially why Steve didn't keep any of the lights turned on in the mornings; they'd just clash with the sun, which was doing a better job of iluminating this place anyway. Steve did make sure he'd turned on his desk fan, though. He preferred to work with a little white noise going in in the background.

Everyone likes to configure they're workspace to their own liking, and when you're the man in charge, that's especially important. After all, if you're not happy, then your subordinates probbably won't be either.

Or so Steve considered, anyway.

With everything the way he wanted it, he opened up his laptop, ready to get to work. Abruptly, though, just as he signed into his user account-

 _Mzzzb, mzzb !_

His smartphone came to life, shaking and humming as it received an incoming text message. Steve had taken it out and placed it on his desk, to put it in easy reach just in case he decided to call someone who wouldn't talk his ear off about pointless nonsense. Now, that certainly seemed like a good call.

 _For crying out loud, Danno. Still ?!_

Steve rolled his eyes, mentally noting to keep his phone turned _off_ in the future, after disagreeing with Danno. They may be brothers, but sometimes, like now, he was the most insufferable person on the planet.

Grudginly admitting to himself that he might as well deal with this now rather than later, Steve slowly took his phone, unlocked it, and checked the messages. To his great ( and pleased ) surprise, it _wasn't_ from Danno.

Instead, it was from Tani, and when Steve read it, it sent a stab of shock through him:

' _Sir_

 _I found something at Adam's house recently. By accident, while I was there to water the plants. This is something big. I shouldn't be long to be at work today, and I'll tell you then '_

* * *

Tani put her phone down.

Sitting at her modestly sized dining room table, ceiling fan lazily turning and the room filled with the easy dawn light, with fingertips pressed against the side of her nose, and thumbs hooked under her jaw, the rookie silently found herself grappling with what she'd just done.

That it couldn't be taken back- once you sent a text, that was it- was just part of the issue. One that she'd been sitting on for too long, ever after finding that gun and gloves buried under those batteries. It'd bothered her from then till now, unsure of what would happen to Adam if she told McGarrett, but aware that she was obligated to do just that.

Finally committed to telling him ( and she partially had, but the details weren't out yet ), should've taken some of the weight off her shoulders, but, to her dismay, it hadn't worked as well as she hoped.

" Junes, I did the right thing. I know I did. Can't say I hate that its done, but I still have a bad feeling about what it'll mean for Adam. "

Across from her, busily delving into his bowl of stove-cooked oatmeal ( that Tani had insisted on making for him, despite his protests that he knew how to cook ), Junior paused, then put his spoon down.

" Tani, you're not saying you wish you hadn't ? ", he inquired, firmly but also gently, in a way he only used with her, one of the things that attracted her to him the most.

 _He'll figure that out, eventually. Agh, can't get distracted, appealing though it is,_ Tani thought, unable to keep one corner of her mouth from turning up in a small smile at what he'd said.

Putting her hands back on the table, she looked up to make eye contact with him, finding that he was looking right back with an expression that was half concerned, half proud:

She'd done what he wanted, and technically what she'd wanted to as well, but he understood it was something she was still taking seriously, and he wanted to help.

 _Such a hero. Well, there's nothing to tell but the truth_

With a soft exhale, Tani got it together, and replied:

" No, that's not the case. Its just, Adam is, well, he was part of _our_ team. Not officially, not formally, and I didn't even really know him that well, but he still seemed like a good, straightforward shooter. He wanted to help us, any way he could, and he risked his life to do it. He went into that bank with you and the boss while it was under attack by those thugs, and he was nearly tortued to death by the Yakuza over that 20 million. "

She knew Junior was as aware of this as she was, and wasn't entirely sure that rehashing it would serve much of a purpose, but Tani couldn't help it, and she didn't really even know why.

In any case, it got a reaction from her man; Junior blinked, then nodded slowly.

" I get it ", he agreed. " We're all loyal to each other, because this is a unit, and a unit runs on cohesion. That's a good thing, generally. But, Tani, if he actually did do what we think he did, then that's outside the law. We _serve_ the law, and that's something we can't go back on. "

Reaching a hand out to place an affectionate hand on her arm, he continued by saying:

" It'll be fine, sweetheart. This'll be a case, just as we've worked before. Its more close to home, but that just means we've got more cause to see it through ".

He was right, again. Tani wished he wasn't, but he was.

It helped her- she felt some of the apprehension she'd had before begin to ebb away- but some of it was still there. At this point, after all this deliberating, hesitating, then finally informing the Commander that she had something she needed to tell him about a former ( unoffical ) team member, she was now certain that only actually telling him would make her feel better.

And that was about less than an hour . Soon as Junior finished eating, anyway.

There was also the small matter that Junior had called her ' sweetheart', for the first time. Tani's heart involuntarily skipped a beat, and she felt some heat come to her face.

 _You're a real smooth operator, SEAL or not_.

Her formerly small smile grew, and predictably, it made Junior smile as well.

Tani raised a hand, and made a beckoning motion with it, while making sure she didn't take her eyes off him.

" Get over here ", she all but ordered him.

" Hate to say this, but only Captain Grover or Commander McGarrett can give me orders. ", Junior stated, though he'd caught on at once to what she was thinking, and was sensibly playing along.

With authority, Tani replied

" Either you get over here, so I can kiss you, or I'm climbing over this table and doing it anyway. "

 _Ultimatums. I should issue those more often._

Recognizing it, Junior obidently got up, ( though he obviously wasn't unhappy about said ultimatum ), came around to where she was, and gently took her chin by the tips of one hand, just as he had when he kissed her last night.

Tani closed her eyes, as he leaned in. As their lips gently met-

 ** _Krk ! Krk ! Krk ! Krk !_**

-the first bullets roared through the front windows.


	2. Siege the day

**A/N: I put a reference to a Tom Cruise movie here. Can you find it ?**

* * *

 **" Cover ! "**

Junior had tackled Tani to the floor, and yelled out that one word, all by pure reflex. Not a second was spared to think; he just did it.

And not a moment too soon.

They'd barely hit the dech, when volleys of hot lead whipped into the house through the front windows, shattering the glass and scattering the shards left and right in a scathing burst of shrapnel. They buried themselves into the well worn cushions and wooden frameworks of the living room furniture just beyond the entrance doors, amid a swirling cloud of dust and shredded fabric.

The weapons firing said bullets, undiniably automatics, were making a royally and painfully loud racket. Black market aquired assault rifles, no doubt, they roared out a fusilade, sweeping back and forth along the length of the house's front. Everything in their way that wasn't solid metal was punctured, torn through, and riddled with holes. The sheer _noise_ of the barrage was a weapon itself, the kind that made one's ears sting, and head throb.

The unknown attackers were not holding back. Residential neighborhood or not, they'd come here to wipe out a target, and they seemed intent on making that happen.

In the midst of the attack, the two 5-0 members rode it out as best they could, lying flush with the tiles, in the prone position, on the kitchen floor. It was a small house, and anything fired into the front rooms could easily punch through, and into where they were. Already, the coffeemaker had been blown to bits, and the kitchen window was reduced to a jagged edged hole, both pulverized by stray slugs.

Having already drawn his HK45 sidearm, Junior kept the weapon firmly grasped in one hand. His other arm was firmly placed over Tani's back, keeping her in place. There was no logical reason for him to have done that- she hardly needed him to keep her from standing up into the wall of flying metal coming in at them- but, then again:

Affection reigned. He couldn't stop himself. Training directed them both to take cover, but that extra gesture was one he couldn't stop himself from.

 _Didn't think, not even for a second. This was_ all _reflex._

 _We can't return fire, not without a target. But, we can't_ get _one with all this incoming ! Whoever's out there's got us pinned like a butterfly specimen to a wall !_

Beneath his arm, he felt that she'd tensed up, stiffening under the effects of the " fight or flight " response that Junior himself was feeling. Out the corner of his eye, he saw the muzzle of her own weapon pointed out toward where the gunfire was inbound from, and was silently grateful that this woman had her wits always about her.

But, the attack thundered on, with hardly a gap to be heard between the long it'd been going on for was impossible to be sure of. Their mystery attackers couldn't possibly expect to get their mission done just by hosing down the building with lead. Sooner or later, they'd try to storm the place.

From the sounds of it, the Task Force rookies would be outnumbered.

Without realizing it, Junior found himself countining every second.

And praying.

* * *

" Boss, boss, boss ! "

With impressive speed for someone of his size, 5-0 brilliant ( and as quirky ) Tech Specialist Jerry Ortega barreled across the floor of the Task Force HQ offices, arms pumping and sandals slapping against the tiles with a distinctive _clack, clack, clack_ that pretty much made it impossible for him to sneak up on anyone.

Which was fine, for now, anyway. He was a big hurry, and he wasn't remotely trying to be quiet. There was something _important_ going on, and he had to tell Steve, _yesterday._

" Boss ! Oh, there-

He was thussly interuppted, midsentence, as he reached the doors of Steve's office. Just as he was getting close, the doors flew open, and Steve came racing out !

" Jerry-! "

The Task Force commander nearly collided with the portly other man, but managed to dodge at the last second.

" What're you doing up here, Jerry ?! ", Steve demanded. " Nevermind; I need for you to call Danno and Grover right away ! I just got word from HPD that there's gunfire coming from Tani's neighborhood !"

As he spoke, Steve ran past Jerry, tossing out the last few words over his shoulder, racing out of the palace with signature McGarrett urgency. If Jerry had met him for the first time just now, he'd have had his head spinning from how much energy Steve always seemed to have, especially in the _morning._

" Actually, wait- sir " Jerry tried to say, turning around to call out to the quickly dissappearing SEAL. " That's kind of why I was here. You know, ' cause I have a police scanner and- "

" Jerry ! ", Steve stepped into the elevator, and hit the ' Descend ' button. " Quickly ! "

The doors slid shut.

"- thought listening in would come in handy one day ", Jerry finished, trailing off as he now found himself standing alone.

As usual, he melancholicly reminded himself.

* * *

 ** _KRK ! KRK ! KRK ! KRK !  
_**

 ** _BM! BM ! BM! BM ! BM ! BM !  
_**

 ** _Bm ! BM ! B-_**

Silence.

Silence, that was so sudden, and so juxtaposed against the roaring din that had filled the air just seconds before, that it was deafening in its own way. One second, at least a half dozen guns had been throwing rifle and carbine caliber shots into and through the house, and now ?

They were silent. The whole area was. Anyone else in the neighborhood who'd been outside at the moment the attack began was no doubt huddled in terror somehwere they hoped they'd be allright,

But, there it was, plain as day: the firing had stopped, and from their tenative kitchen position, the rookies slowly raised their heads, albiet only a little, still brandishing their weapons. There was no telling how long this gap might last, and they were not keen to be caught up and easy targets in case the enemy opened up on them again.

They'd have to excersise some serious caution.

" _Junes, I think they're still out there_ "

Tani's spoke low, just above a whisper, and with noted tension- rubber band pulled taut tension, as she inched forward a foot, up to the threshold of the kitchen, but not all the way.

Junior could understand her state of mind; while Tani was no stranger to getting caught in life or death situations, and certainly ones that involved bullets, nobody expected their own home to get shot up with _them still in it._ You considered your house to be your sanctuary ( not a ' safe space ', perish that ), somewhere you didn't have to worry about

He took a quick glance at her face. It wasn't fearful, but there was defintely apprenhension there. Again, Junior could understand. This wasn't just another shootout with some perps carrying handguns. This was a veritable _siege_ , and those doing the besieging were about to scale the walls, so to speak.

 _Should've known they'd come for us like this. No gang worth their salt just unloads on a palce an expects to get anything done_

 _Now it gets real_

 _"_ Remember what I said, Tani ? _",_ he replied, creeping up to join her. " We'll be allright, so long as we stick together, and cover each other. They've got to come to _us_. We can use that. "

" This is _my house,_ and they just shot it to smithereens and back.! They'll pay for it, one way or another ", Tani vowed, gripping her weapon tighter.

" That's my girl ". Junior allowed himself a quick smile of pride.

At that moment, they heard the crashing sound of a door being kicked open, followed at once by the scuffling of shoes on floor panels.

The enemy was at the gates, and now they'd entered.

" Shincho. Karera wa shinde inai kamo shirenai ! " ( Careful. They might not be dead )

" Hai " ( Yes )

The sound of voices speaking in Japanese was pretty much a giveaway that the intruders were of the Yakuza, though it was also a little odd to the rookies, as they knew Yakuza members generally also spoke English as well. Perhaprs these were new arrivals from Japan, or maybe they preferred speaking Japanese among themselves.

Either way, what mattered was: Yakuza never left any job unfinished. The thugs would be on them in seconds.

Sensing it, Junior hurriedly gestured to Tani to get over to the other side of the kitchen door, and press against its wall in a crouch, a perfect spot to ambush them. He'd stay prone, partially hidden by the table.

She did as he instructed, and had just barely gotten into position, when the first gang member stalked through the entrance, a TAR-21 pressed against his shoulder.

Having made the mistake of entering straight up the middle, he was an easy mark when Tani opened fire. A hollow point round took the gunman in the side of his head, and he fell, rifle clattering noisiy to the floor.

The shot caused an uproar just outside, and in the momentary shock, Junior rolled out from behind the table, took a second to aim, and fired twice, having spotted 3 more hostiles advancing through the room beyond. 2 of them went down, hit in the chest , while the 3rd received a grazing hit to the leg as he threw himself behind the couch.

A moment later, he leaned back out, leveled a HK G3 at them , and opened up. Tani swore she felt one of its 7.62mm hardened tip rounds clip a lock of her hair, as it bored through the wall she was in cover behind. With a moment to be gratefull that round hadn't come closer, she took a chance to shoot back, as Junior also did. Twin streams of fire hammered into the G3 shooter's cover, and a grunt of pain was heard.

The G3 fell into view, its wielder slain.

From even further outside, shouts rose as the rest of the gang realized their targets were putting up a fight. Around the same time, another sound began to manifest itself.

Sirens. _Police_ sirens

The unmistakable wail of oncoming law enforcement was heard by all, and it had varrying effects. For the gang, it signals they'd all but failed: Either they got in there, and took out their quarry _now_ , or they had to run for the hills.

For the rookies, though, it was the opposite.

" You hear that ? " Junior exclaimed, raising his voice a little so that the Yakuza could hear him. " I know you can ! Its over ! "

There was a note of triumph as he spoke, and Tani felt the same way. They'd driven the enemy back, and now help was coming fast. These gangsters would be madmen to not retreat now.

" Think they've given up ? ", she asked, taking a glance around the corner.

For the first time, she saw just how much damage the bullet barrage had done. There were _holes_ in _everything_ , entire chairs turned to kindling, and chunks of the couch were completley gone. Some rounds had even embedded themselves into the _ceiling._

There would be no living in there for a long while. Tani did not want to think about what it would cost to fix all that. There was no time anyway, and she was too angry to boot. Tani was furious, as much as she'd been when she'd punched her HPD training officer.

 _How. Dare. They ?! Look what they_ did _! Trashed it completley ! What was this even_ for _?!_

 _Oh, no. I think I know._

 _" Junes !_ These guys, if they're Yakuza, with Noriko being dead-

 **Bm ! Bm ! BM !**

" Beowulf! ", Junior yelled, as Tani was unwillingly interuptted. " They've got some Beowulf attachments ! "

 _Typical. Always cut short_

High penatration slugs began to pound the house, effortlessly smashing through anything they hit like white hot knives through butter, all the way _into_ the kitchen. Gaps began to appear in the walls over the table, raining bits of plaster and siding down on Junior's hair ( his ' fro ', as he'd once called it ). Others proceded to smash the cuboards off their mountings, blew the toaster into Oblivion, and shot the faucet's spout off, sending a geyser of water spraying up wildy.

The new racket was more than could be handledin such a closed space. The rookies had to make a tacical retreat if they were going to keep fighting back.

" OUT THE BACK ! ", bellowed Junior, already reorienting himself toward the rear kitchen door, and pulling himself toward it

Tani needed no urging. Already prone as well, and with her ears ringing like bells, she followed him toward, what may not be safety, was least somewhere that wasn't here

All the while, also praying that backup would make it to them in time.


	3. The head honcho arrives

Steve had never been more grateful to himself that he was a reckless driver than he was right now.

With sirens wailing, he drove his Ocean-wave blue pickup through the ( thankfully ) not crowded streets of Honolulu. And by ' drove ', that means he essentially was doing what he usually did, and treated said streets as if they were a NASCAR track, and his truck as if it were a sports car, with the accelerator fully pressed into the floor, and the gearshift automatically ( because who could be bothered with fiddling with choosing gears while you were busy enjoying the ride of your favorite truck ? ), and helpfully adjusting the transmission.

With deft tugs and yanks of the wheel, Steve wove and swerved around any vehicle that happened to be in his way ( and each time he did so, he silently wondered why he didn't have a hovering car, like the kind that flew over Coroscant ), in the kind of bold maneuvering that always seemed to have Danno alternate between cursing at him, and pleading for him to not have them end up in the ER due to his recklessness.

That was something else to be grateful for, Steve had long ago realized, his fingerless gloved hands cranking the wheel hard right to take a corner, missing an oncoming FedEx truck by roughly a yard. Of course, Danno's incessant complaining about his driving style had become somewhat amusing to listen to over the years ( mostly because Danno couldn't do anything about it, what with being stuck in the passenger side and all, nearly on every ride ), but the problem was, that salty East Coaster never knew when to shut it.

Even odder, though, ( and this was something else Steve had come to understand a long while ago, something which still puzzled and confused him greatly ), Danno was also exactly who he intended to have standing by him in what was about to happen. What Steve was so urgently racing toward:

Saving his Rookies.

" Pick up, pick up, " he muttered, willing the call command he's issued to his phone, mounted on the dash, to work faster. Steve had bolted from his office in a hurry, the moment HPD notified him of a disturbance ( aka, a r _aging gun battle_ ) in Tani's neighborhood. He knew that HPD would dutifully inform the rest of the team as well ( ie, Grover and Danno ) that something this high profile was underway, but Steve was the kind of boss who liked to be involved in the chain of command.

He wanted to know personally that his team was converging on the location.

 _The dust can wait, Danno. Oh, wait, it_ always _could._

 _Anyway, are you on top of this ?_

He'd better be. It would take all hands on deck for this one.

 _Rrmmm, rmmm, rmmmm !_

Stever's phone busily tried to find that out, as its owner took a left, tires screeching like they'd walked barefoot over Lego bricks. Scattered pedestrians jumped back from the edge of the sidewalk in startled shock, some of them shaking fists in resentment.

 _Rmmm, rmm, rmm_ -

" Steve, someone's trying to kill our newest additions to the Task Force. You do know this, right ? "

To his credit, Danno at least sounded he was in a hurry; he spoke with the sound of an engine growling loudly nearby in full drive, proof that he was also on the move.

Also, and rather impressively ( and annoyingly, as Steve considered it ), Danno still managed to keep some of that usual dry sarcasm that he'd unfortunately brought with him all way from the Garden State.

 _How does he do it ?! Nevermind; I'd rather not know._

 _"_ Yes, Danno, I am aware. More to the point, that's where I am headed, as we speak. You got the call ? "

 _"_ Yeah, HPD clued me in. Already talked to Grover. Had to leave a golf game in progress, big fell's not pleased, but our rooks being in mortal peril like this made him even madder. He's en route as well. "

 _Got the band together, then. Let's put on a good performance_

 _Be honest with yourself Steve: You always do._

Steve felt his fingers clench tighter and tighter around the edge of the wheel. His ohana was in serious danger, and he had _every_ intention of being there, to save them himself.

" Copy that, Danno. HPD's SWAT units have been dispatched. They'll be there to back us up. We still need to get there first, though, no matter what. Clear ? "

" Crystal. We've got this, Steve. We'll get there "

 _We'd_ better _._

 _I won't let anyone hurt them._ Anyone.

He barreled on, refusing to think about what might/ could happen if he was too slow.

* * *

 **BM ! BM BM BM BM !**

The storm of 50 caliber slugs was still raging. It was hard not to have noticed, as the noise of them whipping over Junior's head had made his ears ache all the way to the drums.

As the metal-shredding munitions reduced the interior of Tani's home to a debris field/ scrapyard, he'd led her out of there, dragging themselves over the floor of the kitchen, then risking coming up to a low crouch to kick open the back door of it. On point, Junior stopped, pivoting to face the direction their enemies were bound to come in from.

He couldn't name why, only that it must've been some kind of combat instinct, activating again. Just, as Tani moved past him on her own way outside, Junior raised his HK45-

\- just as another gunman entered the now thoroughly demolished kitchen, armed as the first one was, with a Tar-21. This time, though, he was a little quicker to notice any danger, and actually managed to take aim at Junior.

It only took about a second. Which was long enough for Junior's shot to throw the enemy shooter, now dead, back through the doors.

A second later, though, another one appeared, rushing in, and armed with a CM901.

Junior shot him as well, but this newest thug managed to get off a shot even as he succumbed to the hit. A 6.8mm bullet burned through the air, and the rookie felt something brush his left shoulder.

" _Junes_ ! "

Tani's anxious cry reached him, ringing ears and all, from her postion already out in the modestly sized backyard, having ducked behind a Hala tree. It wouldn't stop the incoming fire- they'd quickly realized nothing here would- but standing, or even crouching/ getting prone out in the open didn't at all seem like a good idea.

" Over here ! ", Tani urged him over, beckoning feverishly. " I'll keep you covered ! "

Junior moved, as more fire roared behind him. He practically dived out the doors, into the yard, and ran, still staying low, over to where the woman he loved was waiting for him.

 _At least 4 hostiles down for the count,_ He thought, as he ran. _We've made a dent, but they've got 50 cals, and we can't move from here, or we'll drag this fight into where it'll risk the locals' lives. We've got to end this now !_

He made it, as the gunfire finally slackened, again.

The Yakuza must have finally realized that their quarry was no longer in the house at all. Infuriated shouts rose from the gang members who were still left, which was a welcome sound change from the thunder-rivalingly loud gunfire they'd been unleashing up until a few seconds ago.

At least for a somewhat longer than a moment, the rookies had a while to think, try to plan.

So far, they'd been on the back foot: hunkered down in the kitchen, then chased out here, while trying to whittle the enemy's strength. They'd succeeded a little, but there was no way to be sure it'd worked.

For all they knew, the enemy could be about rush them yet again. Out here, with all but no cover ( nor that it'd done much good against the 50 cals ), things looked especially bleak.

Tani turned to look at him, relief evident as day on her face.

Junior returned the expression, but it quickly changed to one of shock.

" Tani, you're hit ! "

* * *

 _Skrrrrrch !_

Steve's truck tires, if they could've spoken, would've been swearing at him by now, at how hard he'd used them to get here, He'd exceeded the speed limit at least once, and though he'd been careful to avoid locals, he'd come up onto the curb once as well. And taken corners with hardly but a tap on the brakes.

Typical.

What mattered, though, was he was _here_. A black SUVs- not a Camry, thankfully, what hatefully drab cars- was parked ( stopped suddenly and abandoned, more like ) out in front of Tani's house.

Which, worryingly, appeared to have taken some serious fire. Over a hundred bullet holes decorated the front of the dwelling, all of them clearly of rifle caliber weaponry. The door was off its hinges, and the windows had been shattered as if they'd never been there.

The sight of such damage to one of his _Ohana_ 's homes had Steve gripped by equal measure of anger, and grave concern. He felt a cold shiver run up and through his spine, though how much of that which, he couldn't be sure.

 _No, no, no. Tani ! Junior !_

Steve leapt out of his truck. He was fully geared for combat; armored vest, knee pads, and armed, as always, with an HK416. He put the weapon to his shoulder, and swiftly advanced, head on a swivel.

He stepped through a small sea of spent brass, strewn wide and far all around the front of the house. Over 200 of them, by his rough estimate.

 _That's a_ lot _of empties. Who are these goons ? How did they find out where she lives-_

 _That can wait. I'll find them first._

Steve entered the building.

Upon doing so, he noted that he didn't remember being here before. The interior wasn't large, but it was clean; recently vacuumed, and neatly organized. Everything- every piece of furniture, every magazine ( the readable kind ), every plant and decoration, had clearly been on the receiving end of Tani's diligent care. Small homes seemed to have that certain feeling of being trim and tidy, and here wasn't an exception.

Or rather, that's what it would've looked like, if it wasn't for the innumerable bullet holes that had smashed and shattered said everything, coating it in dust, grime, and filling the air with the lingering scent of gunpowder.

And blood.

Amist all the destruction, Steve found 3 dead gunmen, lying in various poses, in a rough line across the torn apart and eviscerated living room. Their weapons: a TAR-21, a G3, and an M468 lay close, right where their wielders had dropped them.

 _Hmm. Dead hostiles ? My rooks must've done this. There's hope yet._

 _" Ready ? "_

 _" You sure about this ? They've wiped out everyone else ! Are we really doing this for Noriko ? "_

 _" She's dead, man ! And Adam, that brother of hers, he did it ! He has to have ! These cops worked with him !_

Voices. Steve came to a stop, and crouched behind the couch's remains. Peering past it into the kitchen, he spied two more thugs, standing in the kitchen, which was in even worse condition than the rest of the place. Asian in appearance, they wore the same as their deceased comrades: dark suits, without ties, and one of them had a tattoo of Japanese writing snaking up his neck

Both were braced on either side of the door, weapons ( G36s ) brandished, ready to strom out, yet they were clearly holding back, as if afraid.

 _Yakuza ?! Here ?_

Steve was astonished, and not just for that:

I _shouldn't be surprised that they think Adam did it, but Tani'd just told me she needed to tell me something big, about him._

 _Pieces are coming together. After I deal with these two_

Keeping his attention on them, Steve methodically lined up a shot on the one on the right.

 _Ckk Ckk_!

A quick burst was enough. Before the gunman had even hit the debris covered floor, Steve did the same to the other

 _Ckk Ckk_ !

And the second one fell.

All hostiles eliminated here.

Deeming it safe to stand, Steve moved into the kitchen- finding that the coffeemaker was shattered, a true crime-, and making sure he couldn't be seen from the outside:

" Tani ! Junior ! You out there ?! "

 _Respond. Respond, please_. _Please_

He hardly could wait. He'd come too far to have them not be here, one or the other, now.

 _Come on !_

He was just about to take a chance, and take the chance they might fire on him, when:

" Boss ! We're here, but-

" Junior?! "

H _e sounds scared. What could've-_

" Its Tani, sir ! She's been hit ! I didn't- we didn't know till just now ! "

 **No !**

Without a another second spent still, Steve bolted outside, nearly dropping his HK.

On the back lawn, he saw something that felt like a blow to his own body:

Junior was sitting against a Hala tree, his HK on the ground beside him, and his face a mask of anguish.

Tani was cradled in his arms. Her face was pale, sweat beaded on her forehead.

Her tan blouse was stained with red.


	4. Not ready to leave yet

_It doesn't hurt._

 _That's bad, isn't it ? If you can't feel it, then its bad  
_

 _Isn't it ?_

Tani wasn't in pain. She still knew she was hit; there was no doubt about that, because he could feel something warm, wet, and red trickling steadily from a spot just below her collarbone. That spot was rigidly numb, and in fact, _all_ of her now felt like she was made of stone. She couldn't move, at all.

All she could do, was lie still, staring up at a patchwork of grey clouds floating by overhead, with two strong arms embracing her, holding her up and resolutely keeping her from just sprawling onto the warm ground.

Junior's arms. His face was close to hers, and she'd never seen him look so stricken.

" Tani, _I've got you_. I got you, sweetheart, I'll get you out of here. "

He was doing a truly heroic job of fighting how much this was hurting him, as much as it showed in his voice. He was doing his best to stay calm, and do what he could for her, his hands clamped over where the bullet had gone in, struggling to slow down the flow of blood.

Tani tried to tell him she wasn't in pain. That, for some reason, the steadily bleeding wound caused by a slug ripping into her wasn't wracking her with crippling, overwhelming pain. If she could tell him, _herself_ , then maybe he wouldn't be so sad.

Tani hated it when he was this way. She had to do something about it.

Of course, that lack of pain was due to shock. Raw, ravenous shock. But, even that didn't matter, because Tani suddenly found she could hardly speak at all.

" _Its ok. I don't feel much. It doesn't hurt._ "

It was just above a whisper, just as when they'd been weathering the Yakuza's assault. Except now, it was the best she could manage.

" No, no ", Junior murmured. He turned her around, as gently as he could, looking for an exit wound.

He found none. What had hit her was still there, lodged in pretty deep, it seemed.

 _If the entry is this big, we should be that grateful there's no exit wound; that'd be the size of an orange. But, she's still in dire straits_

" Tani, listen to me. It didn't go through. It didn't go through, ok. Bullet's still stuck in you. We just need to remove it. "

With that same gentleness, he began to lift her, preparing to carry her out of this place.

Tani had never felt so cared for, never so loved,and she tried to tell him him how grateful she was.

At this point, though, her skin felt clammy to her , and a strong wave of fatigue hit her like an ocean wave. Now she found it was an effort to stay awake, as a new face suddenly came into view.

" Tani. I've got help on the way, kid. You can count on your commander, ok ? "

Steve. Dependable, trustworthy Steve McGarrett. He really was here. The old(er) SEAL had joined them, dropping into a crouch beside Junior, as he was about to stand with the wounded Tani still embraced by him.

" Let me see it ", he told the younger man.

With the greatest reluctance, Junior did so. Steve's gloved hands reached out, pulling aside the fabric beside the wound. In seconds, they were turned crimson. Steve's jaw clenched, his features wrought with grave concern.

When he spoke shortly later, that concern as all to clear:

" Junior, she's bleeding out ".

" Sir ?! - "

Junior had glanced up at Steve as soon as he'd arrived, looking to his commander to help, as always. But, now, hearing what he'd just said, he looked back at once at the woman in his arms.

Blood. She was covered in her own. It was leaking out from around Steve's fingers, joining the already alarmingly large patch of red that was staining Tani's clothes. So much so, it was actually dripping off her, after having soaked her blouse, and drops of it were landing on the ground.

One of her arteries had clearly been severed.

The red fluid just wouldn't' stop coming out, no matter how tightly it was pressed. The SEALs didn't have anything to properly stanch the flow.

They were losing her.

There was no more _seconds_ to be lost. If there would be any way to keep her alive-

" **Steve** !? Steve, it's me ! How're they doing ? Everything's a total _wreck_ in here. "

Danno !

The SEALs turned their heads to the back door, as the New Jersey man appeared, inevitably dressed as always in dark trousers, and a white button down shirt, with a armored vest worn over it all.

Instantly, he spotted what had happened.

" Tani ?! _Tan_ i !

Danno raced over to them, holstering his 10mm Glock. For once, he didn't sound remotely like his usual self : dry sarcasm, blunt wit. Now, he just sounded how they all felt for Tani right now:

Fearing for her life.

But, they couldn't do anything if they didn't keep their heads. At least they were all doing that.

" Can you hear me, Tani ? ", he asked, leaning toward her. " Squeeze my hand for yes. "

He reached out, took one of her hands. When he did indeed receive a squeeze- a weak, flimsy one- response, he nodded fiercely to the others.

" Allright, we've got a live one here ! "

He seemed to take a second to nog again, clearly to himself, as if to reassure himself that Tani was still with them.

" Danno ", Steve turned to him with greatest urgency he'd shown to date:

" We need an ambo here, _stat_ ".

* * *

 _Why was the sun so bright ?_

The harsh, unwavering, white light shining directly into Tani's face _had_ to be the sun, wasn't it. It was so bright, and constant. Perhaps the clouds had separated, and let in that glorious Pacific sun.

It had to be the sun, wasn't it ?

" _Tani ?! Tani, can you hear me_ ?! "

What was that ? Was someone calling to her ? It sounded like someone calling her name, but the someone in question seemed to be underwater, or perhaps at the end of a long tunnel. Muffled, and garbled.

" _Tani ! Come on, give me something, sweetheart. Come on, please_ "

Sweet-

Wait.

Wait a moment.

Only one person ever called her that. Only one.

Junes. Her Junes. She blinked, as she recalled it.

" Allright, she's responsive ! BP is still low- "

That wasn't Junes who'd spoken just now. What was going on ?!

It was then that his face, suddenly came into view, so close, right in the middle of that glare. He still looked fearful, but somehow, he also looked brave.

" _Tani, you can hear me, right ?_ _You're in the back of an ambulance, and we're on our way to the ER_ right _now. Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams are clearing the way for us.  
_

 _We've got you, Tani. I've got you. "_

His voice cracked a bit on ' I've '.

Tani, barely awake, from the dangerous loss of blood, could not respond, but she had enough clarity left to know one thing, now more than ever.

She wasn't ready to leave. Not yet.


	5. On a knife's edge

Straub Medical Center, Honolulu

12:00 am, noon.

* * *

" _Clear the way ! Clear the way !_ "

 _A squad of paramedics, surgically gloved hands soaked through with arterial blood, veritably sprinted through the main doors of the ER department, keeping a firm grip on the gurney they were hauling along with then. One that had yet more blood dripping from it, a thin trail of it dotting the previously spotless white tiled floor._

 _All of it from the dying woman who lay on that gurney._

 _Tani Rey._

 _She didn't move even in the slightest , as the paramedics rusher her further through the expansive corridors. One of them held a transfusion kit high, letting it feed lifegiving blood back into her, while the rest didn't slow down an iota, but Tani was unaware of any of these efforts to save her. The 5-0 rookie lay in place, utterly still._

 _" Female, under 35, GSW to the upper torso, arterial bleeding-"_

 _" Vitals are critical- "_

 _" BP still in the red- "_

 _ _" Go, go , go ! Its falling- "__

 _She didn't hear the paramedics rattling off her medical stats to the doctors and surgeons that had swiftly gathered around, forming a little procession of white coats, as they closed in on the operating room. Staff members in their way either deftly moved aside, or , if they were surgical staff, they stayed close, listening to the doctors' commands, then rushing off to prepare the OR to do its vital work._

 _Tani did not know any of it was happening. That were quite a few folks in a rush to save her life._

 _Or, that one of them that she loved was right beside her, surrounded by the white coats, one hand helping to pull the gurney along._

 _He'd been there all along, from leaping into the ambulance without waiting for permission as its doors were shut and it sped away from her demolished house, to now, to this moment.  
_

 _His hand, gently resting on her forehead, mopped off the sweat that had dotted it before.  
_

 _" You're so close, Tani. You're close, sweetheart. You made it this far. Stay with us, just stay with us.  
_

 _Stay with me "._

 _He looked at her face, serenely peaceful. Beautiful as ever, as if she wasn't bleeding to death right before him._

 _If Tani had been awake, she'd have how Junior's own face looked: a mix of raw emotion, and discipline. Staying strong, as best he could._

 _For her._

 _" Officer " One of the doctors addressed him. " Sorry, sir, but patients and medical staff only beyond this point "._

 _Junior ( reluctantly ) lifted his head to look up. He found that they'd reached the corridor arch, just before the OR doors. Posted just off to one side, was a sign that proclaimed that, indeed, only patients and staff could keep going._

 _Well, that was an issue for Junior. Leaving Tani's side at a moment like this was the last thing he wanted to do._

 _It hurt like a blade in him. But, just as undeniably, he knew this was where he had to stop. As much, as badly as he wanted to stay close, he could not lose her. And inside there, there wasn't anything he could do._

 _There was only one option for him now_

 _" I- yes. Allright "_

 _Junior made himself let go of the gurney. It swept away from him, carrying Tani with it._

 _He clamped his lower lip as it receded from view. The doctor who'd informed him he had to stop, about to keep following the gurney, noticed Junior's reaction._

 _The pain. How he was determined to hide it._

 _" I can't stand here and make you a promise on how this will end for her ", he stated solemnly. " Except this: We only ever do_ all _we can. "_

 _And with that, the doctor continued on, pulling the doors shut behind him_

 _Leaving Junior standing there, by himself in more ways than one._

* * *

That had been hours ago.

It seemed like a day. Perhaps more than a day. Junior wasn't sure, having lost track of the hours' march a while ago.

Seconds after those doors had swung shut, Steve and Danno, who had personally blazed a path for the ambulance as it sped at speed-limit-cracking pace toward the hospital, and had been right there behind the gurney as it was brought inside ( though Junior had been far too preoccupied to notice ), had come up on either side of him.

He hadn't looked either of them in the eye, not at first. Instead, he just stared at the doors, at the little windows in them. He still clamped down over his lower lip, feeling his anger and sadness combine, like pacific storm

 _I can't help her. There's nothing I can do ! I can't_

 _"_ Junior "

Danno. He carefully put a hand on Junior's right shoulder, possibly the first time he'd ever done so. Again, just as at the house, there was none of his usual dry sarcastic wit.

It probably wouldn't come back for a while.

" I know what you're thinking. She still needs you, even if you think you're not doing anything for her. You hear me ? "

What Danno had to tell him was true. As he heard the words, Junior knew they were true. He couldn't help realizing that- as much as he couldn't help but feel helpless and unable to do _something,_ nonetheless.

" Yes, sir ", he finally managed.

" Don't ' sir ' me. " Danno quickly stated, gently but firmly. " Not today. "

" He's right ".

Steve.

The Task Force boss stepped up on the left, and Junior involuntarily turned to face him, as he always did whenever his Commander approached. By more instinct, he reached up to brush away the tears that hadn't yet fallen off his face.

There were more than he thought. How could he not have noticed ?

" I know this is probably too much for a SEAL, but right now ? Rank doesn't matter. We won't let you be here alone. "

" And, son, nobody cares about a few tears. You're not a machine, after all "

 _Why do they both have to be_ right ?

Junior nodded. To be honest, he was grateful for what Steve had just said, because for the life of him, he couldn't keep some of them away. His expression was still being fought over between, discipline, sadness, and anger, just when he thought he had control.

 _I am a SEAL. I should have control, no matter what_

 _But, that'd be a lie right now. I can't be like that, not all the way. Not with Tani in her, her life in the line._

 _"_ As you say, Si-Steve. " was his response, tearing himself away from the doors, already reminding him too much of how the woman he loved was just past them, her life by a thread, but he couldn't help.

He wished then, more than ever, that bullet had hit him instead.

* * *

Hours dragged by.

The 5-0 men sat together in the waiting area, empty except for them, with the ER doors having remained resolutely shut.

A gravely concerned looking Grover had arrived a few minutes after the ambulance and its escorts had, and shortly after him, Jerry as well, appearing notably less cheerful than he would otherwise have been.

Both had immediately sought ask what had transpired back at the house, stressing the need for telling it quickly, but without sacrificing too many details .

If it hadn't been for what had happened to Tani, Junior would not have minded filling them in all about it.

" They had .50 cals !? What kind of scum are we dealing with here !? ", Grover exclaimed, once it was over, shaking his head in disbelief. " These are some dangerous men, Junior. But, you managed to hold them off with just your sidearm ".

" Respectfully, Captain- "

" _Grover_ ", the Chicago native corrected him. " Steve told me".

" Grover. It went badly. _She's_ in _there_. " Junior tipped his head toward the OR doors. " Nobody goes in there unless they're the worst condition possible. Right now, that's her. "

He was aware that his voice held a note of bitterness, but that was unavoidable.

" I thought we had the situation in hand. Or, at least we were beginning to. Then, I looked over at her, right when I thought we could try to take the initiate, and-

 _That's when it happened._

His silence only lasted for a moment. But, it was a telling one, and it said everything.

Helpfully, though, nobody prompted him. They understood.

" Then, you know the rest ", Junior finally finished, exhaling slowly.

" You know something ? I'd be out there, hunting down who did this to her, the _second_ I heard she would be all right. Those goons we took down back there, were just that: goons. I want the ones _in charge_. "

Steve was pleased to see his subordinate thinking pragmatically, while never forgetting for a second who it was who's life was in such great danger.

He nodded, signalling agreement, but in his head, pieces were beginning to fall together.

He didn't say ( yet ) what he'd overheard those Yakuza gunmen talking about, as he'd made his way through the house. How they'd mentioned that Adam's name in direct connection to Noriko's death.

That, and the message Tani had sent him right before the attack began, about finding something important at Adam's house, something she had to tell him in person.

 _I should've made his conclusion myself. It should've been a lot more obvious._

 _Well, its all but certain now. But, Tani said she would tell me, so I'll wait to speak with her. She could make it and not tell me, though, and I wouldn't care_

Meanwhile, nobody else had spoken. They must've put some thought into that puzzle, after what Junior had just said. Still, they were also clearly distracted by Tani's plight.

" She's special to you, isn't she ? ", Jerry ventured. " Not my place to try and find out, but, well, its kind of obvious now. Which is good ! "

That was Jerry to a T, and nobody really could say anything against it.

And Junior, frankly, couldn't, and didn't want to, deny it.

" You got that right. ", was all he needed, and could, say.

Silence descended over the group again, as they continued their vigil.

Waiting, while her life stayed on a knife's edge.


	6. Light my way

The open fire crackled and flickered on the sweeping black sand beach, giving off just enough heat to pleasantly warm anyone who sat within a few yards of it.

Hawaiian beaches, as a rule, were known to be crowded. From the days when the first settlers and expeditions from the outside world had landed on Hawain shores, its beaches, coastlines, and coves had captured their everlasting attention. They were just too beautiful for anyone who'd seen them, or anyone who'd been fortunate enough to have visited them, to want to spends hours a day, and possibly ( if they happened to arrive in the evening, observing the brilliant postcard sunset ), the night itself.

Over the years, that number of visitors would rise by leaps and bounds, first by word of mouth, as enthusiastic travelers came home from the lush island kingdom and talked on and on about how amazing it was Later, it increased even more by the Hawaiian state government's rigorously tended tourist trade, once the islands were brought under the dominion of the United States

All in all, there weren't many stretches of the islands that weren't covered by crowds throughout the day. Even at night, they were lit by the countless beachfront apartments and restaurants that said State government had built over the decades. They were constant hubs of activity; with groups and scatterings of tourists and beachgoers present at virtually all hours.

But, out on the little cove, with the crackling fire, there was nobody.

There was not a hint of glimmer of civilization to be seen or heard in any direction. On either side of the fire, the dark sand stretched out for nearly a mile in every direction, before curving gently inward, to form a pair of ' horns ' that formed the cove's mouth. Along its sides, masses of jungle foliage, with palm trees towering high overhead, stood out clearly under the pale, and amazingly bright, glow of the moon. A sliver in the sky, it helped to also light up the cove's water, which gently lapped onto the ebony sand.

Instead of the steady roar that the ocean tended to make when it hit the land, here, there was only a gently ' _wosshhh_ ', _woshhhh_ ', as the waves fell onto the sand, pulled back, and then returned to do it all again.

Over and over, and over.

In the middle of this, seated barefoot ( as anyone should be while on a beach ), Tani was busily examining a seashell by the fire's light.

She was quite fascinated by it, especially its size: it was longer than her hand twice over, and was shaped like a stretched out spiral, with rolling lines and contours and wrapped around themselves, repeating and repeating, until they formed the elongated spine that made up the spiral's tip. Along its underside, ran a long long row of sharp, pointed edges. Tani touched it nonetheless, albeit carefully, of course, noting their aggressive pointed ends.

What caught Tani's attention, most though, was its color. It reminded of her of a peppermint.

And how could it not ? With its off white outer coat, with dark red stripes ( vibrant, and strong looking, not what she thought something that had been underwater for so long would be ) circling the shell in impressively neat rings, it did indeed seem to be a peppermint of the sea.

It was just gorgeous. Surreal, even.

" Why have I never found something like _this_ ? ", she murmured, turning the delicate piece of ocean splendor around and over, across her fingertips. " This is just magnificent ! "

What if someone else had found it first, and taken it with them ? She'd have been denied this amazing find.

No need to worry about that, though.

" I think I'll bring this home with me. "

" Do I get to come along ? "

" _Oh_ ! "

Junior's voice, suddenly coming in from her right, made Tani gasp, and flinch ( slightly ) involuntarily out of shock, and nearly dropped the shell. She felt a brief spike of adrenaline shoot through her, and clapped a hand over her chest.

" _Junior_ ! You jerk ! Don't ambush me like that ! "

As frustrating as that may have been, Tani knew she wasn't actually upset. Junior wasn't there to try to really spook her on purpose, and even if he was, well-

Isn't that was someone who loved you would do ?

" You're in trouble, mister ", she admonished, getting up off the dark sand and turning around, intending to lightly jab him in the shoulder.

But, she turned to where he's spoken from-

There was nobody there.

" J-Junes ? " Tani blinked, profoundly confused.

She'd _just_ heard him ! Right there, right beside her !

Where could he have gone ?!

" Junes ! " Tani raised her voice. " Allright, you got me ! You win, smartass ".

She looked around as she called. Aside from the firelight, the only source of light was the moon. She could just make out, _just_ , the black sand, which even under the moonlight, could easily hide itself.

Tani focused along the distance of the sand, but still, there was nobody there. She could only see the sand.

" Junior-

" Tani, please don't stay out here by yourself. Its getting cold. "

Junior, again ! Now, he was somewhere off to her left, closer to where the jungle met the beach.

Tani spun quickly in that direction. But, again-

Nothing, and nobody.

Just the silhouettes, of the jungle itself. Primordial, mysterious, and dark.

" What is happening ?! ", whispered the now confused rookie. She didn't understand; what was Junior doing with this ?

And, why did she actually feel cold, so close to the fire ? Out of nowhere, a chill had descended on her.

Goosebumps rose on her skin. She looked for him again.

" Junior ! _Where_ are you !? "

This was getting odd. Very odd, and she didn't like it. Something wasn't right.

Tani decided to try and find him. Besides, maybe it would be warmer among the trees, because it was inexplicably cold now, near the fire.

She moved out, cautiously, toward the jungle, feeling the sand give way beneath underfoot. Even it was seeming cold now.

Why was everything cold ?

* * *

" Junior ?! _Juuunior_ ?! "

More crashing, more lurching, and stumbling, and she still couldn't find him.

Racing through the jungle, Tani called his name again, and kept calling him, as she searched for her man in the confines of the jungle understory.

Everything around her seemed so _close_. Every giant, wet, hanging, rustling leaf, every ropy, sinewy vine, and every rock-tough, moss smothered tree trunk all seemed to be boxing her in, as if there was barely any space between them and her elbows, hips, and shoulders, as she lurched past and among them.

On top of that, she could've sworn she seemed to be moving, _on her own_ ?

When it had begun, she couldn't say. Getting up from the fire, and entering the trees had been _her_ call, she knew that, but only now, in the depths of the rainforest, was she aware of that she could not seem to _stop_ walking. Her legs just _kept_ working, bare feet slipping and skidding left and right over more slippery tree roots that came up above ground. Her arms, too, seemed to have a mind of their own, pulling on vines, grasping at those wet, rustling, leaves, and pushing off the tree trunks, propelling her deeper and deeper into the masses of choking jungle foliage.

This was terrifying. Tani was nearly ready to admit to someone who might listen, that she was actually getting _scared_ now.

She didn't think this was a joke, or a prank, any longer:

Junior had called to her, from the shadows, twice, only to have evidently _vanished_ , into thin air.

The fire had been chilling all that was near it, instead of heating it.

Now she was deep into an eerie, primal looking jungle, moving through it, _without control of which way she was headed !_

What _was_ this ?! What was _happening_ here ?

" Junes ?! _Junes_ ?! ", she was yelling now, nearly. Tani hoped, prayed even, that she didn't _sound_ fearful. It was becoming harder and harder, though. She didn't know much longer she could keep that up, and she hated it.

But, she couldn't stop it, either.

" Junes, where did you go ?! I can't find you anywhere ! Are you here !? "

" Its _freezing_ ! "

Nothing. No reply.

Where could he _be_ ?! Tani's fear was now manifested. She had to find Junior now. Blood pounded in her ears, and she felt more frigid adrenaline shoot through her.

Then, she was out of the jungle.

Just like that, she was out. Her body let her slow down, to a walk, but alarmingly, it still moved as if by remote control.

' _Hhh, hh, hhh,_ "

Panting from her unintended run, Tani continued to stumble. The ground underfoot was warm again, not wet, and she saw she was back on the black sand.

 _Where_ had she ended up ? On a beach, again ?

Attempting to look up to find out, Tani felt a surge of relief that she could at least move her head freely.

Her legs had also _at last_ become still.

When she did raise her head to look-

" Well, you finally made it. "

Junior !

It was him.

It really, actually, _was_ him ! Standing there, right in front of her ! There was a fire, flames crackling and dancing, right behind him, making it even more clear to her, that Junior was really _here.  
_

He was, at last, close by. And suddenly, Tani didn't feel afraid anymore. She'd found Junes.

It was still _cold_ , though.

" Oh, Junes ! I was, I was- " She stumbled humiliatingly over her words, berated herself, and tried again

" Looked for you, everywhere ! Thought, you were calling out to me back there, so I came running and- Well, that doens't matter, does it. ? Anyway, its cold out here, and I don't know why. Let's just sit by the fire a bit. "

She took a step toward him, but-

Now, she couldn't move !

Before, she'd been _unwillingly_ careening through the rainforest, body having taken control of itself, now, the opposite had happened.

Her legs just wouldn't take her any closer to him. She couldn't make them obey her, whatsoever. They'd turned into cement, and she was stuck.

" What, what is- ? "

Her utterly stunned, badly befuddled stammering was interrupted, when Junior spoke again:

" Tani, you're so _close_. You on the knife's edge "

He sounded so, _solemn_.

Junior's head had been bowed when she'd arrived, but how he raised it, and Tani saw the pain on his face. The handsome one she knew so well.

" Junes, what, what are you- "

" You're _dying_ Tani. You were hurt very badly, and you might-

He hesitated, unwilling to go on. At last, he steeled himself, inhaling deeply, and continued.

" You might _die,_ because of it. That's how badly you were hit. You're in the emergency room, and surgeons are fighting to save your life. But, please, Tani, don't go. Please, you have to help them fight."

Oh, no, No, no no. Now it all made sense. Everything made sense to her, now. Every moment, from that magnificent shell on the beach, to the calls from the shadows, to- all of it ! _Now_ Tani understood. It hit her with the force of a locomotive, and she gasped again, as it hit home

Only now, at what might be her end, did she understand.

The ever persistent cold seemed to be stabbing into her now. She began to shiver, her teeth clacked.

Tani gripped her upper arms, wondering if this was the _final_ cold, so to speak.

It couldn't be. Could it ?

Junior took a few steps toward her, across the black, dark sand.

Then stopped, just out of her arm's reach.

Shr reached for him anyway.

" Junior, I can't move ", she pleaded. " Its _so cold_. It _too_ cold. Please, help me. "

With the most pain she'd ever seen on him, he shook his head.

" I- I can't, Tani. I love you, and I'd do everything I ever could for you. Without question, you know that. But, this ? This, this is all you. I can't pull you the rest of the way. I would, but-

Now he reached out, and his hand, instead of touching hers, hit a simmering barrier. It was more translucent that the most finely crafted glass , and Tani'd no clue it was there, not until this moment.

Worst of all, she saw how vast it was. The barrier seemed to stretch off into, well, to the horizon itself, and all the way into the shy.

They were so very, very, close, but so very very far as well.

" I will be here, for you ", Junior vowed. His voice had cracks in it now, his eyes were wet, but the dam hadn't crumbled.

Not yet.

" I won't let you be alone, Tani. Please, _please_ , don't go, sweetheart. "

He stopped then, and with that ( and with his his strong voice cracking wider on the words ' Don't go ), he stepped back.

Bowed his head, as if in prayer for her. Or, unwilling to watch her fail, as the pain would be more than he could take.

The barrier shimmered.

" **Junior** ! "

Tani screamed now.

She loved him.

She was freezing, utterly freezing

She must be on the knife's edge, from all that had just happened.

This was death's call.

" **No ! No,** **no, no** ! I won't- I can't-

He was waiting for her. He loved her.

Now, she'd show him the same was true from her to him.

" Junes ! Junes, I love you ! I **am** coming, you hear me !?

I am not, ready, to **leave** ! "

She beat both fists on the barrier, as hard as she could, in a hammer blow, with all her strength.

" Aggh ! "

The barrier didn't give.

She was feeling colder, if that were possible.

" No, no, Junes, **Junes ! "**

He kept his head bowed, and she could see his shoulders rising, and shaking slightly,

As if he were crying.

" Agghh ! NoT yet ! I have too much to live for ! C **ome on, no** ! "

Tani felt herself beginning to cry as well. It couldn't end now ! It could not !

Again, she struck the barrier. A few cracks showed, but that was all.

" **NO** ! **Not today** ! "

The barrier didn't give.

Tani was even colder now. Her teeth were chattering badly, and her shivers were wracking her from head to toe.

Another hit. The barrier actually splintered a bit now, the cracks widening, but it still seemed pretty solid, and strong.

Tani didn't feel she was anymore.

" J-J Junes. I- I won't, I won't go-"

She stumbled back from the barrier, and sank to her knees, her legs laced with pins and blades from that viscous cold.

Maybe, maybe it really was over.

" Kn-knfie's edge, " she whispered through chattering teeth.

She was about to tip off it, one way or the other. It didn't seem like it would be the one she wanted. She didn't want to go , after all.

Tani sought one last look at her love, Junior.

He was still there, standing like a sentinel, head low.

He was still there. He was standing by her till the end.

A real man. Hers.

He'd never leave her.

Tani stared at him, wavering, about to fall, and let the cold take her.

Then, she rose to her knees.

Then, she stood up.

She was so cold, her skin looked purple, when she lifted her right fist, and pulled it back for an all or nothing, final effort.

This was it. Failing here would be the last time she would.

This was for Junior. For her Junes.

With a raw scream, she hit the barrier again.

* * *

Steve had stopped counting how long had gone by.

He, Grover, Jerry, Danno, and Junior had been waiting now, in the area just outside the OR that was there this purpose, for easily over 3 hours. The chairs were, at the very least, not that uncomfortable, which was highly fortuneate, as they had no intention of moviing from here until those OR doors opened.

The doors which had stayed closed all along, stubbornly hiding what was happening within.

Thing was, they all _knew_ what was happening in there. It was no mystery:

Tani was dying, and those inside the confines of the OR were doing everything they possibly could to save her. Everyone knew that, for certain.

It didn't help them, though. It was far better than being unaware of her state, but they still hated every last second that marched by, with no news to speak of how she was.

Nobody had spoken, not really.

In the back of some of their minds, there were thoughts of all the experiences and days they'd spent with Tani, _all_ they'd seen and done with her. It was tempting to recount and retell those out loud to each other. It could help make the wait seem shorter, and they wanted to go back to better days, to when she _wasn't_ fighting for her life.

But, nobody did. Mostly, because it just seemed to be the kind of thing you did when that someone in question was _dead,_ and _that_ put an end to any kind of reminiscing.

Once, Jerry had tentatively offered to make a run to the coffee machines, and when the others didn't reject it, he slipped off, and came back with a small cardboard carrier laden with several piping hot cups of hospital grade coffee.

Usually, that wouldn't have been good enough them ( especially for the Navy men ), though needless to say, right now, they didn't care in the least. Right now, coffee was coffee, and they wanted to stay alert.

To jump up, and rush to meet the first doctor that came out through those doors.

They couldn't wait another second when that happened.

Then, it did.

With a gentle _swshh_ , the doors swung open, and a tired doctor, clad in blood spattered surgical scrubs, emerged.

Instantly, without the most minute delay, everyone in the room sprang up, and rushed him.

" Doc " Junior spoke fist, as they all knew ( and wanted him ) to.

" Doc, just _tell_ me. Is Tani allright ? Is , is she alive ? "

The surgeon placed his hand on Junior's shoulder.

And answered him.


	7. Rest, and here I wait

" -only one visitor may enter, though. She lost a lot of blood., very nearly too much. We have her sedated, as we barely managed to keep her from slipping into a coma. She needs sleep now. "

The purple uniformed orderly, walking with at a precise, fast pace down the well lit, spotlessly tiled hospital corridor, while proceeding to inform/remind the 5 men following her of the hospital policy regarding visitors to unconscious patients.

" Understood, ma'am ", affirmed a large, bald headed man with a midwestern accent.

" We wouldn't want to crowd her ", added another. Like the one who'd spoken, he was also large in build, with short, wavy hair, and a bushy, but well maintained, beard. " That's just be wrong. "

" And, I hate to say this, but each of you can only be inside for no more than 15 minutes. ", the orderly continued. " Otherwise, you're free to go in. "

They walked on in silence for another few minutes, following the employee through he maze of halls and passages, headed for the recovery ward. They were led around other patients, some of them inching along with crutches, clinging to IV stands, or being rolling along in wheelchairs. All of them had orderlies and nurses in close attendance, and some of them even called out greeting to the little procession as it wound its way along.

The men of the group offered ' hello's back, but to be honest with themselves, none of them liked hospitals. They all had varying bad cases of ' white coat syndrome ', with 2 of them having been _in_ a hospital as in patients, on account of one of them being shot by a machine gun.

The other one claimed it'd been all his own fault, which had never been resolved. Besides, though, they weren't here for themselves.

One of them in particular, that was _especially_ true. He nearly overtook the orderly leading them, power walking to nearly a run. His jaw was clenched tight, mouth pressed tightly shut. His eyes looked straight ahead, ignoring the numbers and signs on the rooms they strode past.

The other men had filed in behind him, letting him be in front.

At last, they arrived. The orderly stopped in front of a room, one of those in the recovery ward that they'd just reached. Made of rows and rows on either side, of medium sized rooms filled with patients who'd undergone surgery, or were otherwise not deemed well enough to be released. The number on the metal sign fixed to the wall next to the one they'd stopped in front of was ' 117'.

The orderly turned to the men.

"Who wants to be first ? "

A tall, muscled man, with short, dark hair that could most accurately be called a ' mini fro ', stepped forward at once.

" I want to see her. "

He sounded like someone with emotions that were clashing: half eager to be in, but, half tormented as well.

He loved the woman in that room, and fearing her life would be lost before she ever reached it showed on him.

" Go on, kid ", encouraged one of the other men. Twice the age ( roughly ) of the first man, with short, greying hair, he had a deep, commanding voice, but it had a softer side to it, as he spoke just now.

" Go be with your girl. We'll wait here. But, as your boss, I should be next. "

Some small smirks- keyword, small- showed up on the faces of the other 3; the first hints of a lighter mood from any of them in the hours they'd waited for this moment. The man about to enter the room, though, remained as solemn as ever.

" If you want to. But, please, I just have to-

" Don't let me hold you back another second ". The older man practically pushed the younger one forward " Get in there. "

Helped by the shove, the 'fro man soon found himself inside. The orderly dutifully closed the door behind him.

It was just him now, and the sleeping patient.

Her room, modestly sized as the others, was actually more reminiscent of a hotel's suite. The floor was made of wood-resembling panels, and the walls were the homey, soft tan of Hawaiian beach sand.

Overhead, surrounded by a ring of lights, a ceiling fan spun, encased in a peculiar looking wooden frame that wrapped all the way around the blades, also made of wood- dark, local banyan tree wood.

Along one wall, was a ledge set out from it, upon which was a large lamp, with a brass base, and a red cone. On either side of it, were amber toned glass vases of flowers; Naupakas, Ohia lehuas, and Gardenias.

No red roses, though, and the Junior Reigns was glad for that. Red roses, he felt, were suited best for Valentine's Day.

Or funerals. And who was lying in that bed was still alive

Long brown locks spilling around her head, canted a little to one side, Tani Rey dozed.

Still and silent.

* * *

Beneath the cream white sheets that covered her, Tani barely seemed to be was lying angled slightly up, with her head propped with the help pf a large pillow. From a distance, Junior could see the heartbeat monitor mounted over the upper right side of her bed, rows of jagged red and blue lines marching past, with their rhythmic, high pitched ' _bp, bp, bp_ ' sound unmistakable.

The spikes in the lines weren't very high, but they weren't bottomed out. Junior's own pulse became a little faster, though.

IV feed tubes hung from their tower, snaking into the top of Tani's left hand. Sensor pads ran up and out from under her gown's collar, feeding information on her vitals to the monitoring machines, making sure the staff was always aware of her status.

All in all, she looked very much to be in good hands.

Junior nearly _rushed_ forward, as soon as he saw her. It was his first impulse, not even conscious thought, but then he forced himself to slow down as he reached her bedside, somehow thinking he might wake her.

It didn't matter how ludicrous that seemed, he _knew_ it was, but also found he just had to.

Love, undeniably, made you behave strangely.

Finally, he was beside her. Finally, he could look at her himself, and see that she was _alive_ , and breathing.

She'd _survived_.

She looked so, _calm,_ just as on that gurney carrying her to the OR.

The sheets did a good job of hiding the slight rise and fall of her upper torso, as she _was_ breathing, albeit shallowly. Her face, formerly marked by scars and scrapes from the flying shrapnel at the house battle, had been tended to as well.

Junior couldn't ignore how beautiful she was, as much as he was overwhelmed that she was still with him, in the land of the living.

" _Tani_ ? Hello, sweetheart. You have a visitor. "

"Its me, Junes. "

He pulled over the short backed, padded, wooden framed chair that was helpfully placed near the bedside, and seated himself in it.

Then, reached out, and took her hand, the one without the IV snaking from its top.

Gently squeezed it.

 _Something, just a little. Please, Tani_

 _You have to know I am here._

Her fingers didn't move, at first.

Then, her index finger, flexed. Slightly, drawing the sheets around it.

 _!_

Junior felt his mood swell. Like a plasma charge in his soul

He actually smiled. A small one, _just_ enough of an upward curve of one corner of his mouth to count, but it was there.

He had cause to smile, at last. Some tears stung his eyes, but he didn't bother to fight that, at all.

Why should he ?

" I-well, I can't say I thought you were gone forever, while I waited ", he confessed. " I didn't "

Junior didn't mind that she was in no state to speak. He was here, by her side, he loved her, and she had _pulled through_. Her time hadn't been what had happened then.

He would tell her anyway, because he did not mind telling her again.

" I haven't been that frightened, in, well, I have no memory of when I was that scared. The worst of it ? There wasn't anything I could do. You were in there, you were dying, and it wasn't anything I could fight. It wasn't something I could defeat, to protect you. "

He stopped, feeling that lump in his throat. Pressed his mouth together, inhaled a bit.

Then-

" Yeah, I know. You'd get all ticked off if I made you seem like you couldn't fight ", admitted the SEAL, one corner of his mouth tipping up, just a bit.

" But, I know something else: You'd love it. It's what a man does. I don't want to say I am a great one, but you seemed to think I am good enough. "

He put a hand out, to lift a few stands of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

" You're my better half, though. Can't have one half of something without the other, can you ? So, please, sweetheart, come all the way back. "

' Because I want us to be whole again. "

Junior didn't take his gaze off her, all the while.

Now, he took another long look at her. Heard the monitor beep, over and over.

Thankful as ever, that this amazing, tough, smart beauty, who loved him so much, still lived


	8. Complete the puzzle

" On a scale of 1 to 5, what do you think that what we'll find, is actually what we both think it'll be ? "

Securely buckled into the passenger seat of the ocean painted pickup, Danno had posed the question as casually as he could, keeping one hand around the overhead handle as the truck's driver sent it along its route, driving _just_ fast enough to be considered " quick, but not reckless ", yet it was still too much so far Danno's taste.

His face a mask, hiding what he may be thinking, Steve's response was clipped, and to the point, for once:

" Evidence, Danny. "

 _Well, a change from ' Danno ', at least. Not sure if this is good or bad, though._

" Evidence, you say ? Why, what against ? Or who ? "

A little of that signature sarcasm of his, resurfacing. Tani was _alive_ , that was for sure, so Danno felt himself in slightly better moods now. Until she was all the way out dire straits, though, it'd weigh on him, like a concrete block.

 _Not as bad as it is on Junior though, poor rook. Love, and all  
_

As for Danno's question, though, Steve didn't hand out anything.

" I'll be easier to show you. Or want the story about it too, then again; I'll have to show you first. Trust me, it'll be easier that way. "

" Not helping. Steve, why're you-

" We're nearly there. Not long now, ok ? "

Puzzlement aside, the New Jersey man reluctantly found he had little better to do, but sit there, as he pondered that reply, ignoring how they'd just narrowly avoided ramming bumpers with a Prius driving in a nearby lane ( though, if they had, and torn the bumper off the Prius, that'd be doing the driver a favor ).

There was still little traffic, with just a scattering of other cars sharing the road with them. A light rain was falling now, coating the road in only the smallest layer of water, but enough to make the lighter vehicles hydroplane somewhat. Bigger ones, though, just splashed through the pools of rainwater, sending sheets of it flying out to either side, as they thundered along their way.

Including this truck, with its driver keeping it fixed on a determined course. Steve'd been a aggressive driver, always had been ( and Danno had no reason to think that would ever change ), but now, he seemed, well, _driven_.

Steve hadn't spoken much after they'd set out on it. At the hospital, he'd been quiet all along; while they'd awaited news on Tani's condition in the ER waiting room, while they'd wound their way through the halls and corridors to reach her recovery room after they were told she'd survived the operation, and right after he'd emerged from said room, having paid a well warranted visit to the grievously wounded rookie.

With only a quick, low spoken " Meet me by the truck, Danno. Just you. ", Steve had swept past a moderately confused Danno, and walked away, leaving the detective standing there with a quirked brow, and more than a few questions.

While sitting in Tani's room right after, those questions had stayed, floating in the back of his mind. He had no intention of letting them distract him from spending these few moments with the tough former lifeguard though, so they stayed in the background for that.

They were still there, of course, and at the moment, they were taking his attention again.

 _What kind of shenanigans are we headed into now ? Aside from it how easily has something to do with what's happened to Tani._

 _Someone attacked her house, like the attack on Hill 609 ! They tore that place to shreds. Why could've driven them to go all in like that ?_

 _What's the connection here ? Seems we're working another undeclared case. Again._

Danno hadn't said any of that to his colleges as he left the room. He knew, probably, that he should've; If what he was thinking about what Steve had in mind was correct- and he suspected it was- then they all should be briefed about it.

Then again, Steve had specified " Just you ". And, when Steve McGarrett was specific about something, you had to know he was serious about it. Besides, as he was usually frustratingly vague about what he was planning outside of official channels, and had a knack of improv, well-

Easier to just find out.

They drove on for a while, window wipers _sqweegh, sqwwegh, sqweeghing_ as they continued their classic battle to keep the window clear of rainwater. More rain pattered down on the roof, _tk, tk, tk , tk, tk,_ a steady, staccato rhythm.

And so they rolled on.

* * *

" Commander McGarrett ! Detective Williams. "

HPD Sergeant Duke greeted the 5-0 brass, just beyond the perimeter of police tape, bouncing in the gentle breeze brought by the tropical storm that crawled over the island, that now surrounded Tani's bullet shredded house.

He, needless to say, wasn't alone. Multiple HPD cruisers, along with a forensic team van were parked and arrayed out in front. Several uniformed officers, most of whom had at least one hand resting on their 45 Glock handguns, had been joined by a squad of fatigue clad and CM901 armed SWAT members. They stood on, and patrolled, the lawn and sidewalk, keeping watch and ensuring that the area stayed cordoned off.

Steve and Danno had visited dozens of such scenes over the years of working this job, all across the island ( and in Danno's case, on the mean streets of New Jersey ). To them, on virtually all of those, approaching that line of tape signaled that they'd arrived at another crime scene, and now, they had to get to work. Some CC's had been more disturbing than others, but at none them, did they really have a connection to the scene

Today was different.

When someone _shot up, one their ohana's homes,_ that changed the game.

This was personal now.

" Sergeant Duke, " Steve firmly shook the outstretched hand of the older policeman. " Thanks for holding the fort while we were away. "

" Exactly what he said. Tripled. " Danno added, nodding his own greeting.

Duke seemed mildly amused by the familiar wit of the Jersey man- evidenced by a small, quick smirk-, but it was gone soon, as somber mask falling in place. He was a good cop, and always manged to stay on task, no matter what.

" Gentlemen ", he addressed them crisply, and gravely. " Before I stand aside, and let you in, tell me: _Did she pull through_ ? "

Yes, he was Ohana.

He knew all about what had happened in this house. He knew who she was, and though Duke didn't know her well, that this was affecting him as much as as Danno and Steve could tell it was, said a lot more than words.

Steve didn't know how he could've told Duke how things were, if Tani's operation hadn't turned out the way it had. He did know, though, that he'd always be grateful that it had.

Always.

By way of answering, Steve said ( allowing himself a quick, but full, smile ) :

" Yes, Duke. _Yes_ , she did. "

The venerable officer exhaled in relief, nodding slowly.

Steve knew how that was.

" It was sitting on my mind like a sack of bricks. Been a touch worried about that girl, I admit ". Duke admitted. " But, she's alive ? She'll be allright ? "

" That's what the docs say ". Danno confirmed. " Got her under observation as we speak. We were with her, till just before now. "

" How did she look ? "

" About as you'd think: not out of the red, yet, but _definitely_ still kicking. We plan to be back there tomorrow morning. Or, soon as she wakes up. Whichever happens first. "

It was shared belief among all 3 of them, that Tani could stay in that state for certainly longer than tomorrow. It was optimism taking hold again.

But, optimism itself wasn't something to be shunned. Just as long as you were careful with it.

" Wonderful news. Truly. Well, I'll be out of your way then. We've recovered the weapons, all the spent brass we could find, removed the bodies, and took a full suite of photos. If you need my officers for anything, tell them. If they complain, tell me about it. "

" I may think of a use for them ", Steve noted aloud. " Thanks, Duke. For everything. "

" No need for thanks, but anyway, you're welcome. "

With soft clap on Steve's shoulder, Duke moved aside, and the 5-0 men headed inside the mangled remains of the house.

" Hasn't gotten much better ", Danno noted, as soon as they were. " Looks like your place on a given day ".

Steve scoffed derisively, but didn't deign to offer a response.

" Over here. " He turned toward the kitchen, and strode off.

He walked away, stepping through patches of dust blown across the floor from when bullets had hit the ceiling. The wrecked furniture was still there; the couch, the coffee table, the drawer stand across from them, and some of the chairs. All of them were still the way Steve had last found them; pieces missing, stuffing exposed and spilled out, splinters scattered everywhere.

Yep, still a royal mess.

" I saw this mess on my way in, Steve. ", Danno kicked aside a fragment of wooden chair leg. " Hardly anything worth coming back here for. We should be focusing on how they found their way here, or what their grudge is with-

" Very glad you asked, Danno. ", Steve abruptly interrupted, as he entered the kitchen.

He stepped over to the sink.

" Steve- ? "

" I told Tani, a while ago, to get a safe installed here. And, to not have it placed where someone would think to look for it. Who places a safe in a kitchen ? "

" Well, you might ". Danno was already ready with line like that.

Brushing it off, Steve continued " Hiding in plain view. Tani said she found something important, at Adam's house. She knows how to move evidence without ruining it. She knows it has something to do with the Yakuza, and that Adam's house is where they'd look for it first. "

Steve stopped there, letting Danno fill in the rest.

Which he did.

" Wait. This is all about Noriko, isn't it ? "

" Spot on. Washed up dead on a beach, Adam's already said that she deserved something far more sever than jail, ie death, Tani finds something that Adam wanted to keep hidden, and- "

Danno finished the promoting. " Its beginning to seem like he took her out. Which would need evidene either way to prove. And proof usually means evidence, which you think, is, here ? "

Steve pointed at the under sink cupboard.

" If it is what I think, in there. "

" Not a substitute for a real evidence locker, but it'll do temporarily. And, I happen to have the master key. "

He pulled it out, crouched in front of the faucet-less sink, and pried open one of the few cuboard doors that hadn't been holed by bullets, revealing a squat,, ebony, metal sided safe, just big enough to fit beneath the pipes.

Danno shook his head.

" Steve, we saw what the crime groups here did to that FBI agent, and his family. They're ruthless as anyone could be. What is it, that's got them all riled up like this ? I had to say that aloud. "

" We're about to find out. "

Key in hand, Steve place it in the lock, and turned it.

 _Chnk_

The lock disengaged, and with a measured movement, Steve pulled the door open.

Peering over his shoulder, Danno didn't bother to restrain his exclamation of surprise.

" If Noriko's dead, Adam's gone, and THIS is what she found, then- "

Steve said nothing. He only stared-

At the gloves and gun.

 _Adam's_ gloves and gun.


	9. Sword of the east

" You're late "

The two words were spoken casually, and in Japanese, but even so, there was an unmistakable edge to them:

Cold, dangerous, and a warning of the volatile temper of who had spoken. They might even had been a tad stereotypical, but their recipient knew better than to say that aloud.

" Apologies, sir. "

The speaker, a tall, bald headed, thin-mustached man dressed in the dark tie-less suit typical of crime syndicate lieutenants the world over, was seated alone in one of the booths at the very back of the empty cafe. It was the kind of establishment that would've probably been quite crowded, or at the very least, a third full, if it were actually open. It was clean, with its floors and ceiling made of well polished, genuine Katsura wood, brought from Japan itself. The booths were padded with cushions stuffed with alpaca fur,and mounted over the wall-extended tables between each of them, on a little ledge, was a bonsai tree, each of which was different than its neighbor.

Ceiling fans with swirling koi fish patterns painted onto them hung overhead, and across the room, the main counter was festooned with more bonsai trees, and a Samurai helmet, an actual one, mounted on a covered stand fixed to the marble surface.

It was indeed, quite the image of a Japanese styled place to eat. Which may have had something to do, with how it was actually a front for the Yakuza's Hawaiian presence. After all, every crime syndicate needs a legitimate-appearing front, to better hide in plain view. It helped that the cafe was located in one of the poorer, more rundown section of the city that tourists didn't frequent as much as the others, which helped to keep its secrets where they belonged: away from the curious. The few who did come inside, were of course, soon turned away by the constantly barred main door, chained shut, and with a sign posted on its Katsura wood face stating that it was " Undergoing renovation ", along with other convenient excuses

All of which was perfect for its real purposes, including meeting that couldn't be disturbed.

" I don't want your apology ", hissed the seated man, to the one who'd addressed him.

Clad in a loose fitting black polo shirt, with sand- shaded cargo trousers, the other man' jaw moved slightly, as he swallowed out of nervous reflex. He was keenly aware that the wrath of whom he was speaking to wasn't something you wanted brought down on your head.

Also did he know that his man demanded that every meeting with him be conducted in the tongue of the Yakuza's homeland. Why that was, nobody knew, or felt it was worth trying to find out. In the Yakuza, what you didn't know could save you as much as it could end you.

" S- Yes, sir. "

" Do not stutter at me. You are responsible for organizing our teams who go to seek vengeance on those who's crossed us. You are supposed to be, and still are, Noriko Noshimuri's iron fist ! "

It was a form of art that you could make something sound frightening, without raising your voice. The seated man had mastered it, and its effects showed; the other man, still standing, gulped.

" You failed, however. Your team is dead, and nothing to show for it. What do you have to say about that ? "

The ominous edge was still there, arguably even stronger.

" Adam was not at his house. "

The standing man spoke, judging ( at great risk ), to state what he thought to be a rational, sensible course of action. But, he could not take long to explain; every moment that marched by as another the other man's mood didn't improve.

" When he wasn't there, we looked to track his associates. The brother of that 5-0 officer in the hospital right now, bought drugs from us before, and we keep tabs on our customers-

The seated man held up a hand. The standing one stopped.

" Suffice to say, you planned to use her to get to Steve McGarrett, and through him, Adam ? "

" He's the only one who'd want her dead this badly- "

" That is beside my point ", the seated man stopped him again.

He leaned forward now, elbows on the table. The standing man knew this wasn't a good sign.

" We already have assets on the mainland, ready to take action against his sister. When I took command, after Noriko's demise, I was told all I needed to know about them, and I was prepared to use them. But, you-

A finger raised, and pointed

" - took initiative. An American trait, which I admire, generally. Except, now, all it has done is raised the alarm, for not only the Task Force, but all law enforcement in on this island ! A **gun battle** , in a **residential neighborhood** ?! This is not the second battle of Naha ! "

" I told them, to be discreet "

" And were they ? Their lack of finesse has brought the government's attention onto us harder than ever. We must manage all our zones of influence; here, at home, and on the North American continent. This latest development is far from what we need. "

Resentment now more evident than ever, the seated man was quiet, for a moment, sitting back in the booth, still with a very much displeased expression. The standing man, as he'd been all along, remained at attention, still not at ease.

Seconds ticked by.

"I'll leave the plan to deal with Noshimuri to you, sir " the standing man declared. " I swear on my life, and those of my men, we won't act without orders again. "

" That is an oath I will hold you all to. "

Both of them knew the seated man's promise to be one he'd follow through on, without the slightest hesitation.

Punishment in the Yakuza rivaled that of the cartels of Latin America, in both viciousness to those it caught, and relentlessness on those who fled from it. As often, such as now, that was all the motivation required.

" There remains the matter of the wounded officer "

" What shall we do about her ? "

In response to the standing man's question, the seated one leaned elbows onto the table again.

And spoke in a deadly serious tone.

"Your new orders, are to be carried out _without_ drawing more attention to us. "

" Sir ! "

There wasn't any hints of fear from the standing man, now. If they were still there, they were hidden behind a new drive of purpose.

" She is too loyal to her commander to give us anything useful, especially via torture, which virtually never yields useful information, if we needed it from her. "

" Moreover, her life hangs by a thread. "

The seated man now stood from the booth, and straightened his jacket, as the meeting was now over. The standing man didn't move, though, awaiting his full orders.

Which he knew what would be, but that didn't matter.

Regardless, they were swift to follow.

The man who'd been sitting, now dispensed them:

" Sever that thread. "


	10. Lightning strikes twice

The storm was definitely on its way back

From the western Pacific, banks of darkened clouds had appeared on the horizon, beginning a steady advance toward the island, ready to join the ones already there, the final remnants of the mid-sized storm that had already dropped several inches of rain.

This was the Pacific, though, and of all Earth's oceans, none were hit by unpleasant ( or pleasant, depending on whether- pun sincere- you preferred rain or shine ) weather, than the Pacific. Along with its status as the world's deepest ocean, it also had the distinction of the stormiest as well.

Now that was manifesting itself. Oahu had already been lashed by a storm the previous night, but now it was about to get a second round, as that bank of storm clouds, a wall of obsidian hanging in the sky, crept closer and closer to the coast. From its mass, lightning flickered and flashed, as it advertising its strength, and its imminent landfall, to everyone watching it.

At last, it was getting close. A strong ocean breeze was airbrushing its way in, causing the Palm trees to bend and flex , kicking up clouds of sand, and scattering fallen leaves.

Only the first hints of of what was on its way, but it was enough.

Along Oahu's western beaches, the usually large and teeming crowds began to thin, as beachgoers decided to withdraw to somewhere they'd stay dry, rather than wait till the last second, and get caught under yet more rain. And, it seemed this new squall would be worst than the last; the NSW was already issuing warning to the general populace that the weather front approaching them was already considered to be a tropical storm, and advising them to stay inland for the next few hours.

That didn't stop at least some of them from making a quick stop at what was arguably the most popular coastal eatery on Waikiki, just long enough to get something for the road:

" Cap'n Grover ", boomed the laid back, gregarious tone of Kamekona Tupuola. " You're a brave man, sticking around so close to the water, considerin' there's a royal class storm comin' in ".

The big boned, notoriously friendly food truck owner was in his typical mood: cheerful, unhurried, and seemingly unfazed by how close said ' royal storm ' currently was. Granted, he did have a food _truck,_ which would let him relocate his business easily and get away from the squall as well, but Grover still got the impression that Kamekona would stay put right here if a _tsunami_ was on its way, right till the last possible moment to escape.

Dedication was a strange thing. Or, that's what it seemed to be.

" Well, what can I say ? ", Grover shrugged, glancing at the posted menu, even though he knew what he wanted already. It was a basic behavior to always study the menu board of a place that had one, even if you were sure you knew what you wanted. " I like excellent food. "

"Ehh, now. Flattery won't be enough to get you a discount, I must warn you. "

Good ol' Kamekona wit, always got Grover to chuckle, and it did now. After all, Tani was still alive, and still fighting to stay that way, defying the Yakuza's blatant attempt to take her out. She wasn't out of the red zone, not yet, but there was still cause to be optimistic. She was getting there.

Besides, Grover did need to eat.

" 6 piece shrimp box ", he told Kamekona. " And add a Cesar salad. Hold the dressing "

" Nice and generous, Captain ! What's got you in such a charitable mood ? "

Oh, that's right. He didn't know. It was the usual easygoing banter he had to offer, but but Grover had not told Kamekona that one of the Task Force's own was in grave danger.

Visiting hours at ended at her hospital for the day, so Grover had decided to finally take care of his lingering hunger by paying a visit to the well known mobile restaurant. Which, to be honest, had become a sort of beacon for the team; they could eat there, chat about things that _weren't_ work related, and just basically relax.

Wasn't the same without all of them there, but at least Grover could get food he liked. Because, good food was always what you wanted and needed when something was weighing on you.

Grover didn't want to just shift that onto someone else, but Kamekona was part of their ohana, after all. They may not keep him looped into their cases, but then again:

This wasn't a case like that.

" You may have heard, that there was an open gunfight in town recently ? "

" Hm ? Oh, ohhh, yeah. Yeah, I heard about. _Whole_ lotta chaos, man. Someone shot that place up pretty bad. "

 _That's an understatement. Still, you're right._

" That they did. "

" Man, these gangs are gettin' out of hand. You and your posse, you'd better stay on your toes, before they come after _you "._

For not having been informed of all the details, Kamekona had his rather close to home.

 _Agh, he has_ no _idea how close_

The unintended pause from Grover, as the irony of what Kamekona said, proved to be telling enough.

" Ohh, no. " Kamekona's jovial expression was now replaced by one of contriteness.

" One of the team got hit ? Who was it ? "

Grover inhaled slightly.

" Tani. Can't go into details, you know, but what matters is, she got caught in the fire. Its bad, Kamekona. Real bad. Docs did manage to keep her living, but not by was touch and go for a while, and I got to say, man, I was scared. "

" She's lying in the ICU, _as we speak_. Hospital kicked out all visitors for today, so, here I am."

The short, melancholy tale was at its end. Grover didn't like to disrupt Kamekona's usually upbeat attitude, but, there it was. And, frankly, it was't something he didn't need to know.

With a slow exhale of solemness, Kamekona shook his head. " Grover, you should know: You and your team get hungry while you're working to hunt those who did this to her, and while you still waiting for her to get out of there, you can _always_ come here. I want to help, you know ? "

" Man, that's just absolutely nightmarish _,_ what's happened to her. "

The sincerity in his voice was all too real, and Grover could tell he was worried as they all were about her

Well, not as much as Junior, though. But, that was really between him and Tani. It was between them.

 _Still._

" Well, I am sure she would thank you in person, if she could. But, as she can't, I will do it for her: Thanks, Kamekona ", Grover told him.

" You're welcome, man, and so is she, and your team: To 50 percent off. Till she wakes, of course. "

Now that did bring a a real smile to Grover, which escalated to a full on chuckle. True, Kamekona was actually, truly concerned for Tani's well being, that much was clear, generous discount or not. But, it was still a piece of the other side of Kamekona , the one that was a business owner, who always thought about his daily numbers.

Well, better he charge less than charge more.

" I think there's a good chance Steve will take you up on that, considering he doesn't cook much for himself, aside from BBQing, "

" Man of my word, I am. Count on it. Now then, though, still want that order you placed ? Better hurry; that storm just about on us, by the way. "

He was quite right. The cloud bank was now about a mile off the beach, stretching for miles and miles either way. A dark translucent curtain- the cascade of falling rain -hung beneath it, reaching from the clouds underside to the surface of the sea.

It would be on them soon.

" Oh ! Right, right "

Grover quickly turned his attention to the posted menu board. He actually already knew what he wanted- he'd been here often enough-, but it was just a basic behavior, that you always checked the menu board of anywhere you went that had one, _even if_ you already knew exactly what you wanted.

Basic human instincts and all that.

" Hmm, ok. I'll take a 6 piece shrimp box. With a salad, but hold the dressing. "

" Takin advantage of the deal already, eh ? Ah well, my fault for offering it. Wait right there; it won't be long "

" Oh, and by way, Grover ? "

" Hm ? "

" When you visit her again, let me know. I'll be there as well, ok ? "

" You can count on that, Kamekona "

With an affirmative nod, Kamekona turned back into the confines of the truck to prepare the order. Grover let his thumbs hook into his pockets, idly turning to watch as the last few remnants of the beach crowds retreat inland, by foot, or by what wheels they'd gotten there in on, all to get clear of the impending squall.

Grover knew he'd be among them, soon as he got that shrimp.

Before too long, said squall would be falling on them. Oahu was in for a serious drenching, even more so than the last and recent one.

 _And here I am without my umbrella. Sure, it'll be great for the grass, but not for me.  
_

That was fine, though. _Some_ soaking by rain was alright, as long as it wasn't freezing, _and_ you got to cover quickly. Otherwise, it just soaked into your clothes, all the way through, and that was just unwanted-

 _Complain, complain, Grover._

 _Ah, well. I've earned just a tad of grumbling, I think, over these years._

 _Just a tad_

* * *

There were days Danno did not envy Steve's position as the boss of the Task Force.

Which was saying something, because more than a few times a day, beginning from the first day they'd begun working together, Danno had found himself mentally noting how much more _sensibly_ the Task Force would be run, if he were charge. With a rationally headed detective at the helm, rather than a gung-ho, reckless cowboy who's reserves of common sense were frequently exhausted.

 _He'll get one or both of us killed before the decade is out_

But on the other hand ( and Danno could, of course, not EVER admit this to him out loud ), Steve had his uses. Sometimes, you had to fight fire with fire. In these last few years, that had happened so often, it was now the norm. Maybe, leaders like him were the ones everyone needed after all.

Ultimately, though, none of that was the question right now.

"- I know. Yes, its circumstantial at best, but we'll keep investigating on our end. You'll keep him under watch ? Understood, Sheriff. Thank you. Commander McGarrett, out. "

 _bp_

The call ended, Steve placed his phone down, and braced both hands on the edge of his office desk, leaning onto it. Off to the right, braced against one of the walls, Danno stood with arms crossed. Outside, another round of rain had begun to beat the glass, as the squall made its grand entrance onto the island.

It lasted a few moments, then-

" Well, like you said, there's no solid proof. Yet. "

Steve didn't reply for another several seconds.

" I also said we'd keep working this case from where we are, and that's what we'll do. Maybe it'll prove he's innocent; that could very well happen. "

" Or maybe it won't "

Steve let go of the desk, rubbed his stubble with one hand for a bit, lower lip bitten.

" Danno, he's been in jail before. "

" I know "

" For taking out other Yakuza ".

" And that came withing an inch of getting him killed, when they pulled off that prison van escape during his first stint, when he got hauled through the jungle chained to a bunch of other convicts ! Remember that ? "

 _Right._ That _prison van escape. Points for ingenuity, if nothing else._

 _"_ Yeah, I remember that. " Danno affirmed. " And I know where you're headed with this: Steve: If his first Yakuza-induced brush with prison was like that, then how will they take it when he lands back in, for taking out one of their _most prominent bosses_ . "

A gale has risen now, and its howl echoed, whipping around the palace walls, rattling the office windows in their panes.

" That's about it. Its just a a gun and gloves. Its what he used to take Noriko out. Or, its not. There's a lot riding on which it is, Danno. "

" Well, I think we can agree, that's not all that's on an edge, you know. I don't want to make it seem like a " Choose one or the other ", because it absolute isn't, but now, we have Tani's life, AND potentially Adam's, in pretty big and real danger. Or at least, her life and his freedom. "

Steve sighed.

" Wish you were wrong more often, Danno. Don't take that the wrong way. "

" Throw me off the Team whenever you want, I'll just run the restaurant myself. Take all the profit too. "

Steve shook his head, but huffed with just a hint of bemusement.

" Ever the jerk, Danno. Ever the jerk. "

* * *

 _Bmm. Bmm._

 _Bmm-_

 _" Yes ? "_

 _" We found her ! I would not contact you if I was not utterly certain. "_

 _" Hmm. So, you're finally showing a hint that you might prove your worth, it seems. Where is she ?_

 _" Straub Medical Center. They have her in the ICU'S recovery wing, linked to support equipment. "_

 _" Ah. Nearly taken from this world already. But, not quite, and that is where you and your men come in "_

 _" With a plan, now. This storm is fortuitous; power outages are not uncommon, as is common knowledge. When they do happen, chaos follows. Opportunities, open. "_

 _( silence for a few seconds )_

 _" I suspect I know what your plan entails. Do you have your assigned operatives in position ? "_

 _" Outside the hospital as we speak; they can slip into nearly anywhere, and a hospital is one of them. They need only the cover of a total power failure, including the backups, and the resulting overload, to successfully enter, and accomplish their mission "_

 _" Aside from the obvious punishment awaiting you and them if they fail, and not from the police, is this operation ready to proceed at a moment's notice ? "_

 _" Yes. "_

 _" Do they have an exit strategy ? "_

 _" Yes. "_

 _" All tools and assets they know they require ? "_

 _" Yes. "_

 _" I will be informed of_ any _mishaps. If you do not want them and yourself to die, by the law's hand, or mine, you will escape undetected."_

 _" As you command. "_

 _" Very well, then. Commence the operation at once. "._

 _" Yes, sir. "_


	11. Shining armor

5-0 Palace

Tani's office

* * *

"- advise all residents, to avoid driving until this storm abates. However, it appears to be holding position over the island, until the following morning "

Perched on the edge of the office's desk, arms crossed, and not looking at anything in particular, Junior paid the radio's rambling little attention.

It was just background noise; that was essentially the only real reason Junior had the radio on, let alone on the weather channel. After all, the constant _hsshh, hsssh, hssh,_ din of rain hitting the asphalt of the road outside, and the _tk, tk , tk, tk, tk_ , of more of it hammering the windows, was loud enough that the radio had to fight it for control of which was louder.

They weren't the only sources of noise, of course:The frequent storm gusts swirling around the building were rustling and rattling the palm fronds of the trees just outside, whipping them around. It was also quite handily toppling more than a few garbage bins ( spewing their foul contents all over the ground, thereby creating a nightmare for the next garbage truck crew that drove this route ), _but,_ then again, that was all _outside_. Besides, compared to the roar and rattle of the rainfall, everything else was getting drowned out anyway.

Oahu was in the grip of what could only be called a monsoon, no doubt about that. Junior was well aware that he didn't need the radio on to tell him so, or that driving during such weather was a poor choice.

Along with the choir of noise output from the storm, it was just background noise. Just, something to chase away the quiet.

Because, quite simply with quiet, he had too much time to think, and every other thought was filled with-

 _Blood. Her blood was_ all over _his hands._

 _So much of it._

 _So mu-_

With a blink, and a sharp inhale, some reflex in Junior's mind stopped that train of thought cold on its tracks.

He shook his head, grimacing. Junior hated himself right now; using a cheap " rely on sound to keep bad memories at bay " trick. He knew it wasn't a solution to anything, and even more so, he didn't _want_ to fully ignore what those memories entailed.

They were about _her,_ after all. Trouble was, though, there also about what had happened to her. What was _still_ happening to her.

This wasn't even nonstop for him; Junior'd managed to hold those tormenting thoughts at bay while he was at her bedside, and for a while afterwards. Even though he'd had no case work to do, yet, the events of what had gone down at the house while they were attacked, had been residing in the background

He thought just, or mostly at least, of how much he loved her. And that she was still alive. _Those_ are what mattered, and that should be enough.

Until it , the other side of it came up; That he'd nearly had her die on him, that her blood had stained his hands, and that she still wasn't alright, not quite. It was creeping up on him, like a lengthening shadow.

It had a hold on him again, and now he had to shake it off again.

 _Love gets under your skin like nothing else, doesn't it. Usually, that's good. Other times, its painful_. _But, I am still so glad I have her in my life._

 _I just want her to wake up._

Junior exhaled, letting himself think about the rain instead, for a bit at least. Staying here, in the palace, without work or orders, wasn't condusive to his

 _nd, nd, nd, nd !_

Someone was tapping on the office door.

Glancing up, he found it was Danno, who waved, then pointed at himself, then inside: the universal gesture for ' Can I come in ? '

It seemed like a moot (unspoken) question, as Danno outranked him by a quite a margin, but then, he and everyone else had been treating him with a degree of deference for a while now.

Junior wished they'd stop. But, he nodded at Danno to enter anyway, if only to find a way to tell him that.

Opening the door, Danno stepped in.

"Hmm. Its, coming down like we're under a showerhead out there, isn't it ? ", he remarked, standing in the doorway, hands in pockets in his typical pose.

" Mmm "

To be honest, Junior wasn't really in the mood for small talk at the moment. If circumstances were different, or if he had a clear avenue of action open to him, then it might be different. It was tempting to admit that it was because of his military background that he couldn't be idle for long, without a mission to complete, but that wouldn't be the truth.

It'd be a outright lie.

" _Ok,_ then. Message received. I get it. "

Having understood ( quickly, fortunately ), what state Junior's mind was in, Danno nodded slowly. Junior half hoped he'd just turn around, and walk out.

Rather than do that, though, Danno ambled over to the desk as well, albeit at the other end, and seated himself on its edge, angled just so that he wasn't facing Junior outright, but so it'd be easier to turn his head in that direction.

It seemed for a minute that they'd just be there, idly perched while the rain hammered the windows with hat familiar rattle, but then Danno spoke again.

" I _know,_ that you want the guys who did this. And you _should._ "

Nothing was said as a response from the SEAL. He just stayed put, though he had uncrossed his arms, and gripped the desk's edge with his palms.

" I'd love to on what Steve would call a ' spiel ', about how you got to keep your head, you know, stay level, and rational, and not to let your judgement get clouded, but-"

He stopped for a moment, and turned to look directly at Junior.

" Rook, over here "

Junior did so, but still said nothing.

" You know _why_ , I won't go into all that, even though I could ? Even though I _should_ ? "

Finally, Junior ended his verbal strike.

" Can't say I do. "

" Because _you're just like him_ ! ", Danno half exclaimed, half stated, not bothering to name name. They both knew already who was in question, anyway.

" And I mean the _better_ half of him, which even _I_ didn't realize existed, and I've worked with him for years ! What I mean, though, is, that I know you're handling this better than you think you are. "

" I am sitting in her office, sir ", Junior pointed out, a tad bluntly. " Just sitting here, listening to the storm. That's a bit pathetic, and I know it. "

" Its called _being in love_ , you sad sap ", Danno amicably scolded him. " Its not all sunshine and roses, you know. This is what happens when your soulmate's in the condition she's in right now- it, well, it hurts, doesn't it ? Don't answer; of course it does. And it won't go away, at least for this, until she's all the way in the clear. _And_ when we nail who's behind all this, of course. "

Danno did not like speaking in sentence bunches longer than 3, but there were always exceptions to virtually all rules. He'd noticed Junior all off by his lonesome, in Tani's office, and decided he just couldn't let that continue.

Unsurprisingly, Junior caught onto that fairly quickly.

" Was this, just some elaborate pep talk ? When did you begin giving _those_ out ? "

There was some of that McGarrett wit again. He had essentially recruited his clone onto team, aside from Tani, of course.

" _Well_ , " Danno canted his head to one side, with a ' so so ' gesture with one hand.

" No. But, even _if_ you can, or want to call it that, someone like you, or me, or even our glorious leader over there, needs someone to come over, and tell you, that you're not a failure, and that you're still built of sterner stuff. "

Yes, it _basically_ was a pep talk, whether Danno had said so or not. And, it was still pushing the whole deference vibe that Junior had felt everyone sending his way, the one he couldn't stand anymore.

But, on the other hand, Danno was still right; Junior wouldn't and couldn't deny down to earth, real advice when it was given to him, and he understood that's what this really was.

 _Stop being so stubborn, and accept support when someone wants it for you_

 _Allright, allright._

With a slight nod, Junior was silent for a moment more, thinking of what to say.

Then

" You're right. About all of it, especially the pain. But, also how much I love her. "

" You're perfect for her, Junior. Just keep treating her right " Danno clapped the younger man's shoulder. " Been doing that already, but keep it up. "

" Also, and this is an order: Don't tell Steve I gave you advice. Otherwise, he'll think I plan to corrupt you, or something. He thinks in odd ways "

Junior didn't laugh, but he couldn't stop a small smirk of tugging his mouth up. Danno himself wouldn't admit _this_ , but he had more wisdom to offer the rest of the team than they knew. He was humble about it, though, and judicious.

" _Let's go_ ! "

Steve's barked command caught both of them off guard, the man himself abruptly appeared in the doorway.

" Sir ?! "

" Steve ", Danno waved a hand at him, palm up " What's with the ambush ? "

" Not my fault you're not always on the alert, Danno. Anyway, Straub Medical Center. They've just reported a total power outage. All the lights, security measures, all of it just went offline. "

Danno blinked, clearly not anticipating this kind of news

" Just _now_ ?! "

" Isn't that what I said ? The officers HPD posted there just let me know: Backups aren't responding, either. It seems whatever caused this, hit them too. This is a crucial issue, team: patients in that hospital need that power, of they'll begin dying soon. "

" And her. _Especially_ her. "

The storm lashing the island was strong, that they all knew, but the news that _all_ power was down, just seemed to not be because of it. That was too obvious. This had to be work of sabotage. This was _deliberate._

Someone at that hospital was being _targeted,_ and none of them had to bother saying who

Junior leapt up

" I have to get to Tani ", he said, with the most dead on determination either Steve or Danno had ever heard from him " This can only mean one thing, and I won't let it happen. We have to be there, storm or not, _yesterday_. "

" You heard the rook, Steve ", Danno was off the desk as well.

" Who do you think you work for ? " Steve was already turning away, and heading for the elevator at a swift pace.

" Step lively, both of you ! Come on ! "

Junior was right on his trail, soon catching up as he raced out of the office, driven on more than he ever had, as he quickly caught up with Steve, nearly running into him, as Danno brought up the back.

That whole dynamic from before was back in full force.

 _Tani. Those who wanted to kill us are back. They're coming for you_

 _But so am I. If they want you, they'll have to deal with me first._

 _I am coming, Tani. I am coming_

* * *

Straub Medical Center

Tani Rey's room

* * *

 _"_ Doctor ? She's beginning to wake up ! "


	12. Knights of McGarrett

" Why am I in the _back_ ? "

With Steve being the shamelessly exuberant driver that he was, Danno had always found it was easier on his own nerves ( perhaps a little paradoxically ), to sit in the _passenger_ seat of any vehicle Steve happened to be at the wheel of, _especially_ one capable of traveling at high speeds. The rationale for this was simple, really: If he was in the front, then he could better see what deadly obstacle was coming at him, as Steve would inadvertently steer toward at least some of them, on at least half of all their drives.

Being stuck in the back, after all, left him only able to see what had gone _past_ them already, rather than being able to watch them coming at him. Some might say the _opposite_ should be true- and technically, they'd be right- but they weren't Danno. Besides, in the front, he could better advise Steve on how to drive more sensible, not that he'd listen.

That, and Danno just didn't like that feeling of being cramped that sitting in the back always gave him. He hadn't told Steve any of this- partially because Steve would just use it against him in some way, and partially because Steve wouldn't likely listen to him anyway ( again )-, but more than once, he often found himself reconsidering that.

Such as _now_.

" You've got some _badly_ skewed , and, strange priorities, Danno ", retorted the exuberant driver in question. Steve was, as ever, living up to his reputation, as he drove the mighty pickup in his usual style, with Danno screwed into the backseat, and a highly, and icily, motivated Junior in the passenger side, through the wailing gusts and locomotive-strength rains of a storm that was certainly approaching Hurricane level, having covered most of the distance to their destination already.

Not that it was stopping them. Or, more technically, him.

" I'd have thought, of _all_ the times you'd kindly _shut up_ about harassing me, now would be it ! You know where we're headed, right ? And why. "

" Hey. Steve, don't even _dare_ imply otherwise. I am _well aware_ of our situation, but still ! This is, I mean, don't we have some kind of rule about putting me in the _back_ ?! "

It was really tempting, now, to just say exactly why he disliked it so much- dismissed at once though that would be. Wouldn't do any good, obviously, but even so-

With a mildly frustrated exhale of annoyance, Steve informed him:

" Ask him ", and tipped his head toward Junior. The younger SEAL had ridden in silence, even more so than the rest of them, all this while. It wasn't all that surprising; Tani's already perilous situation was about to be increased by a factor none of them were yet sure about.

He was taking it the hardest, which was to be expected. He'd been from the get go, and it hadn't really abated. They all were certain now, that it wouldn't, until Tani was all the way out such danger.

" Ask me what, Detective ? "

Junior sounded as distracted as they thought he'd be, and Danno actually considered leaving it alone. Maybe the rook was owed a little leeway, considering what he was going through right now.

Then again, if that recent conversation in the office was any indicator, he might not want that at all. So-

" Alright then. Junior, why are you in the front ? "

After a moment of silence, Junior slowly replied;

" Commander McGarrett only lets someone he trusts explicitly ride right next to him in his own truck. You and Captain Grover have already earned that from him. Maybe this is just is his way of conveying that to me. "

It was spoken in a deadpan serious way, this difficult to tell how much of it was deadly serious, and it was safe to assume most of it was. To be honest, actually, Danno just realized, that was pretty much New Jersey style. He'd thought Junior was getting all his worst traits from Steve, and his best from himself, but maybe, the reverse was actually true.

The rook was messing with him ? Would he do that ?

" That- that is, wait, no, no. That's just made up. "

" Is it ? "

Again, hard to tell. It was commendable how focused Junior was on task, but he wasn't letting up on that, was he ?

" I must also ask, why'd you wait so long to say anything ? No offense, but, you've waited a bit long; we're well on our way there. "

 _Such impudence. He really is Steve 2.0. A copy.  
_

 _Knew this was a lost cause._

 _" Ok, ok._ I'll just leave it. I could the free shower of walking back in all this rain, anyway. And for the record, Steve, I _will_ remember this "

" Wooow, you're running a tally, eh, Danno ? " Steve smirked with a moment of actual amusement, careful to keep it hidden from view. " Let me know when you need help counting higher. "

" Ha, ha, ha "

Their old malarkey was slowing coming back, and though it wasn't _fully_ back, everyone could tell. When all this had begun, when they'd all been there aound Tani as she was bleeding to death out behind her own house, and up until now while they waited, and agonized over how she was faring in the coldly unyielding confines of the ER ( and the slightly more hospitable recovery ward ), a sort of tension had gripped them all. It was hard to shake it, and it wouldn't let any of them go

Especially Junior. He _loved_ her, after all. They couldn't match that, not quite.

But, maybe now, this was a signal of something. Tani was still certainly not recovered, and with her hospital in the throes of a power failure that had seemingly hit with no warning, she was in grave danger still.

It was confusing.

Yet, they all had a purpose. Always had, and they could finally help her now-

 _Bmm ! Bmm ! Bmm !_

The ringing of Steve's phone, mounted ( sensibly ) in its mounting over the dashboard fans, loudly and abruptly sounded, demanding attention

" Hmm ? "

Steve glanced at it.

" Maybe its Jerry, calling with a last minute conspiracy theory. ", supplied the New Jersey peanut gallery.

" Amusing. Oh-".

It was Jerry, after all. Danno whooped in triumph. Even Junior smirked.

" Shut it, Danno. ", Steve grunted.

He hit the answer button, as the other two occupants of the truck all leaned toward it

" Allright, Danno, you got Junior, Danno and myself. What do you got ? "

" Someone wants to kill Tani ! "

* * *

" Again, I should add. They failed the first time, after all. "

A bolt of lightning had already shot through everyone in the truck.

It turned Junior's blood to ice, and his pule quickened. His mind constricted, toward only one goal:

 _I won't let_ anyone _hurt her.  
_

Even so, however, he wasn't just anyone. SEAL training and discipline helped him out, and he was able to take that apprehension anger, and use it, as Jerry continued:

" When the power failed at the hospital, HPD's radio net lit up, as they began sending units there to back up its security- "

" Hold up, hold up ", Steve sounded as surprised as he did angered, at the thought of someone taking another crack at Tani, again. " Jerry, how do you know this ? "

" The power's out there, isn't it ? Tani is there, and she's there because someone tried to kill her. Right when it happened, I decided to listen for any burner cell phone calls from anywhere near that hospital "

Burner phones.

The kind favored by hit men, and assassins. The realization hit everyone at once.

It could only be the Yakuza. This was another play on their part, and they weren't the kind to broker failure, which would drive whoever was on this mission for them even more dedicated. Or crazy.

" Agh, are they _serious_ ? ", Danno muttered.

" Jerry, where is the signal coming from !? ", Junior demanded.

" That's , what you're not going to like. Even more than hearing about it all, I know. "

" _Jerry_ ! "

That was the closest Junior had come to shouting at him. Another side of him didn't at all like this, but the other side couldn't stop himself.

Tan had come too far to be taken from him now

" Right, right. Ok, its coming from, well, just outside the hospital.

As in, whoever calling is a few minutes away from entering "

* * *

Having delayed leaving the beach, owing to staying to get his hands on a shrimp lunch, Grover was still rather close to it, and as such, was caught out on the roads by the storm's hammer blows.

He knew should've left earlier, but that just held that little bit longer; Grove had always been willing to go that extra mile for food he liked, and Kamekona's Shrimp buisness fit the bill, simple and grassroots of a business though it may be. What mattered thought, was that shrimp was arguably the best he'd ever tried, ever. It was worth getting caught in a comparably bad storm over

Or, so he'd told himself.

Now, he was stuck navigating said comtemtably bad storm, instead of sitting it out somewhere warm ( and just as importantly) _dry_ , such as home, for example. Driving on wet roads wasn't his favorite thing to do, and now, as he wasn't Steve McGarrett, he was doing this _carefully_ , staying under the limit, to begin with.

Might as well do this right-

 _Bnnng ! Bnnng ! Bnnnng !_

What ?

He may not drive like McGarrett, but he had at least opted to keep his phone mounted over his dashboard, keeping it ready for easy use. Which, was coming in handy now.

" What could the boss man want now, of all times ? ", he contemplated aloud. Possibilities ran through his head, but he wasn't one to dwell on those. Specifics were always better.

He hit answer.

" Grover here, McGarrett. " he told the Commander.

Steve's response was controlled, but rushed, and hurried sounding:

" Grover, how close are you to Straub Medical Center ? "

Straub _? Where Tani is ?_

 _" Straub_ ? You said _Straub_ ? "

" Affirmative "

" What's going on over there ?! ". Grover exclaimed, no anticipating this bolt from the blue ( or, not so blue right now, technically )

" Short story from a long one, Grover: We think the Yakuza is making another play to take her out. They've knocked out all power to Straub, even the backups, and now the staff is relying on portable generators to keep life support online, but-

 _Oh, Of course ! Classic. Classic move_

 _The simplest plans are always the best ones. Shame the bad guys, or least these, have figured it out._

" Yeah, and the _lights_ must be out too. They're sending someone in after her, and with his king sized typhoon hammering the place, they'll just walk out of the place after they're done ! "

 _Not on my watch_

He checked the phone's GPS with record speed.

" Right. Steve, I am on my way there. Its not far from where I am now, think I can be there in a few minutes. 5 at most. "

" That 3 less than us. Go for it ! We'll plan to RV with you there. "

" Copy that. "

" Step on it, Lou. McGarrett, out. "

The call ended.

 _Talk about an shocker._

Part of Grover still could quite believe they were this audacious. It had actually stunned him, on some level, as he( partially ) abandoned hi s earlier methodical driving style, and instead, put the accelerator to work.

 _They're already going to pay, that's no doubt, but this ? While she's already in the ICU ?!_

 _Madness_

But, the rest of him didn't let that slow him down, or distract him. If they were still aiming to put an end to Tani, and especially after all she'd been through, then they were already messing with the wrong men:

McGarrett, Danno, Junior, and himself

* * *

A truck screeched to a stop outside the hospital Tani Rey was currently in, sending water crashing out in waves all around it wheels.

The driver's side door flew open, and Lou Grover was out, and moving fast, ducking only slightly through the still-driving rain.

The whole outside perimeter of the hospital was crowded with parked HPD police cruisers, with their lightbars flashing, bathing the area in a dazzling show of blue and red lights. Officers, tarpaulin ponchos draped over their uniforms, had set up a perimeter, AR-15 rifles held at arms.

" Captain Lou Grover, 5-0 TaskForce ! " , he called as he approached, raising his badge. " What's the situation ? "

The nearest officer, the one he'd addressed, turned his way, saw the badge, and stood a little straighter.

" Sir ! They still can't get the power up. We sent a patrol to check the local generators in the basement, and we're online with the city's power grid, but still, nothing. "

" Power's just what they want gone ! ", Grover told him

The officer blinked, obviously confused.

There was no time to fully brief him, even more obviously, so Grover provided him with the significantly condensed version.

" _Listen_ " He pointed through the doors " The _Yakuza-_ yes, _them_ \- they're coming _here._ There's a patient in here who they nearly took out before, and they're aiming to fix that ! "

Now _that_ got a reaction. The officer's expression- name tab reading ' Torson '- turned to that of complete surprise.

 _" Yakuza ?! "  
_

" The ones and only. Yes, _Yakuza_. And they're not always the kind to take the head on approach either. They might even have some of their own inside as we speak ! "

Without waiting any further for the stunned officer to process the admittedly shocking information, Grover headed past him, directly at the main doors

" Sir-

" Cover all the exits ! ", Grover shouted over his shoulder, as he reached the doors.

About to go through them, he stopped, then turned around and added

" And send officers to Room 117 ! "

Pulling out his pocket flashlight, and turning it on, he hurried inside.

* * *

It was like a laser tag arena in here

The lobby of Straub, usually impeccably well lit ( as all hospitals tended to be, annoyingly ), was now cloaked in shadows. The lightbars from the cruisers outside were helping a little, flickering and dancing over the symmetrically placed padded chairs and potted plants ( the latter of which was also a fixture of virtually all hospitals ), and the HPD patrol posted here all had flashlights up and lit, but otherwise, it was still rather dark.

Perfect for an assassin.

Calling out to them, Grover again identified himself

" Captain Lou Grover, 5-0 ! "

" Good to have some backup ", the ranking sergeant replied, nodding.

Returning the gesture, Grover at once requested:

" Give me a sit rep. And do you have any officers at room 117 ? "

" 117 ? "

" We have one of our own in there ! "

" We have an officer on every floor, walking the halls. The staff reports they've managed to secure all the patients. I wanted to send more to 117, but there's a lot of distance between here and there. Not enough of us here yet to cover all of them, not to mention the lights are still down.

 _Well, it sure isn't a lightshow here._ Grover muttered to himself.

Out loud, though, he stated:

" I am headed to 117. Detach some of your men to come with me "

By way of compliance, the officer gestured to two of the others, signalling them to follow the 5-0 Captain.

" Greven ! Yonby ! Do as he says. "

" Sir ! "

Grover waved them on.

" We have to go, now ! "

He set off, and they followed. All of them had their weapons- Glocks for the officers, and an HK for Grover- out, and ready for action.

They set off at a swift pace, Grover using his small but high powered flashlight to illuminate the way. They left the lobby, and encountered their first staff members and a few patients, who were not bedridden, clustered in groups in the halls, lit by more flashlights, looking equal parts confused and nervous, though some were doing a comendable of job of at least appearing brave.

 _Good on you. Keep your chins up,_ Grover thought

He led the officers further, and they took the stairs, clattering up them in a cascading clatter of shoes and boots, before reaching the right floor, opening its door, and then proceeding down its length.

All the while, Grover refused to think about the worst having already happened.

He'd find out soon enough one way or the other anyway.

 _You'd better not touch her. You had better not_

* * *

Finally, they were closing in on the door.

They were in the 100 section of recover room. 117 was around a bend, as they hurried past the listed numbers.

 _Come on, Tani. You have to still be ok. We're almost here for you_.

They rounded the final bend, and-

Someone was about to enter 117 !

 _Yakuza !_

In the glow of Grover's flashlight, the unknown individual was dressed in an orderly's scrubs, but he didn't _look_ like one- too unkempt, with a tatoo of some kind of koi fish poking up around the collar. It was a rather sloppy disguise, but given the conditions , it would be more than enough.

 _Would've_ been.

More to it, he was armed. A short barrelled, silenced pistol was gripped in one hand. It seemed he'd been busy forcing the lock

" **Police** ! " Grover yelled. " **Drop the weapon** ! "

He had his own raised, as did the two policemen. They had him

But the assassin didn't heed. Even as they shouted, he kicked the door open, and raised his own weapon in a fluid motion.

Two gunshots rang out.


	13. A lovely return

" **Gangway ! 5-0 coming through** ! "

At Steve's shouted command, the trio of approaching 5-0 members, fresh from leaping from Steve's truck, found a clear opening appear before them in HPD's perimeter around Straub Medical Center's main doors like the Red Sea splitting.

The gathered officers, draped in their soaking blue tarp ponchos as the rain continued to beat down on them, appeared to be in a state of heightened alert: they had their weapons drawn, and had heads on a swivel, checking all of the hospital's surroundings, peering through the driving rain. When the Pickup had first appeared, flying in out of the mist and shadows, engine howling and lightbar flashing, they at once realized who it had to be, though they sensibly stayed ready for anything:

There may have been many blue pickups on the island, no doubt, but everyone in HPD knew of McGarrett's reputation: he was the most maverick law officer on the island, and would certainly not let something as mundane as a tropical storm stop him from reaching wherever it was he needed to be.

Still, as the blue truck, its bed with rainwater spilling out of it through the drainage gaps, skidded to a halt in front of the in a a cloud of spray ( and on tires that had been put through enough to where they would probably would need to be swapped out soon ), the officers weren't quite sure what to anticipate.

With a choir of mechanical _Thmp !_ s, 3 doors on the truck opened, and then closed. 3 men sprang out, all sporting armored vests, equipped with flashlights, and sporting the distinctive 5-0 badge.

One of them had a short, quasi-' fro ' hairstyle, and a fearsome, determined expression . Another was middle aged, with dark tan hair slicked back, and with the disgruntled expression of someone who was displeased with where they'd been sitting in a car.

The third man, though, was who they at once recognized as the boss of the 3.

" Its McGarrett ! ", enthusiastically exclaimed one, giving himself away as a rookie

" _Commander_ McGarrett to you ! ", rebuked another, more experienced officer.

Said officer turned then to address the new arrivals.

" Sir ! One of your team already went in ! "

" Good, that'd be Grover ", replied the shaved-haired, slightly greying leader of the Island's task force. He spoke and moved quickly, flicking his light on ( as the others did the same ), not slowing down at all as he proceeded through the perimeter, his team in tow. The officer who'd greeted them kept pace, briefing them on the situation just as quickly.

" Lights are still out in there, patients are all accounted for, but-

" What about Room 117, recovery ward ?! ", demanded the man with quasi-fro, in a terse tone, who was on the verge of overtaking everyone, nearly running along. By now, they'd entered the lobby, still wreathed in shadows, but with a bit more activity now; more officers had taken post there, and there were several technicians moving through it as well, still working on the issue of power.

" I should've led with that, Junior, yes. " Steve agreed, checking his HK .

" Obviously ", chimed the slicked hair man, who was slightly less annoyed, now that he wasn't riding a car's backseat, and properly out and about.

" Room 117, that's where Captain Grover already went, correct ? . "

It was a moot question, they all knew, but not out of place, and besides, it wa his prerogative to say, well, essentially anything he wanted. Especially now.

" Affirmative ! "

By now, Steve was plainly aware of how close Junior was to just taking off and gunning right for 117 all on his own. Discilipne and protocol wasn't letting him, oc course, for now at least, but Steve decided he might as well let him loose anyway

He deserved that much, at least. Why not just tell him so ?

" Allright, good. Junior ! Take point ! Lead us there. "

It was all the younger SEAL needed to hear. Steve knew he'd have dutifully followed the two more experienced 5-0 anyway, but this is exactly the order he had wanted.

He's been ready for it. Everything about him said so; why not let him do what he was rapidly becoming to doing best

 _Ride, knight_

" With pleasure, sir.

Just as he launched himself forward through in a full run, through, with the others taking care to stay closely in trail. They raced off, through the shadowy corridors, lit only by their flashlights' bobbling beams, sidestepping parked gurneys- which Junior had learned to hate by now-, on a beeline for 117.

Steve's radio abruptly activated, with a burst of static:

 _Chhk!_

 _What the-_

" Steve !? Grover here ! ", called the Chicago man over the airwaves. " How copy ? "

Surprised at the unanticipated contact, Steve swiftly hit the transmit button

" Loud and clear Grover, send it ", he replied, trading a glance at an equally surprised Danno, who was still keeping pace alongside, as they both stayed trailing Junior, hurrying through the corridors, and up flights of stairs.

The reply they received ?

" Someone just a shot at Tani ! "

* * *

" Captain Grover, sir !? "

Junior hadn't planned to completely pull far ahead of the others, and technically, it shouldn't really have happened; Steve and Danno could both put on a a good turn of speed when they needed to, easily, and more to the point, Junior hadn't exactly given them a significant head start.

Then again, with the woman he loved so close, while also being so threatened, _again,_ he couldn't stop himself from just getting there as soon as absolutely possible. . After just a few seconds of taking the lead position, he'd bolted off, only realizing what had just happened, well, only now, when he was here. After all, he'd been here before. He knew the way. And he had all the motivation in the universe to get there.

Steve would understand. He's said ' Take point, after all '. Besides, Junior had done it properly; he'd cleared his corners, and not hugged them as he went around them

But, was he still-

" _Junior ?! "_

Rounding the corner into the hall that 117 was on, Junior found himself facing down its length, and under the shine of his flashlight, spotted Grover at once, standing further down the hall, with a 2 HPD officers nearby, both standing in guard stance on either side.

Right in front of Tani's room.

 _No. The Yakuza could've gotten here first, and- !  
_

 _No !_

" _Over here_ , rookie ! ", Grover all but ordered, gesturing for him to hustle.

There was nothing that could've gotten Junior to head for that room faster than who was already within it, but anyway:

 _Zzzzt. Zzzzzt_ !

Lights, flickered !

" What the- " a astonished Grover exclaimed.

Junior nearly slowed.

 _Zzzzt, Zzz-_

 _Vmmmmm_

Without any real warning, the lights blazed back on ! Illumination flooded the corridor ! There were some surprised shouts from the posted officers, who'd gotten used to relying on flashlight beams.

The power was back !

" Well, dip me in powdered salt ! Hey, _rookie_ ! Perfect timing ! You need to get in Room 117 ! "

Junior closed the range, the tiles of the floor vibrating the soles of his boots as they pounded along them.

Finally, he reached the door to 117.

 _Finally._ _  
_

" Sir, _is she alright_ ? "

By way of response, Grover pointed through the door, which was wide open, kicked off his joints.

 _Kicked_ ?!

" You'll want to be in there. ", he told him. " Go. Be with her. "

Aside from shining the light directly at him, it was difficult to tell his expression, but it seemed that he was, _relived_ ?

He _sounded_ that way, at least. Junior felt his pulse race. Icy adrenaline ran through him, as he ran into the room.

What he found, touched him to the soul.

* * *

 _Sunlight._

 _Sunlight was finally coming up at last. The whole sky had been darkened, aside from its glittering array of stars splashed far and wide across its staggering width. But, along the horizon, right where the sky and Earth met, a band of burnt orange had appeared, signalling that morning was well on its way._

 _On the sands of a beach once again, Tani watched it happen._

 _From the moment she'd first found herself_ here, _somewhere she knew could only be, or what_ seemed _to be, that middle ground between life and death ( if that maddeningly confusing and rather traumatizing episode with running through the jungle without control, finding her Junes waiting for her by the water's edge, and feeling that vicious coldness was anything to go by. She knew_ that _had happened ), it had been twilight._

 _Shadows, everywhere. The only light had been from the stars, the half moon, and the beach fire, the second one, that she'd found crackling, and burning away._

 _The one she was now sitting beside again. And, again, it seemed to to her that she was just_ here, _without remembering how she'd arrived. After the end of that earlier experience, she had seemingly blacked out, only to ' awaken ' here._

 _She could only remember fragments, including where she'd screamed she did not want ' to leave', so to speak, while_ fighting _to not slip into the jaws of death, while Junior Reigns, her Junes, watched and waited for her._

 _But, all she was sure of now was, she could not be dead, and wherever and what this place actually was, there was sunlight about to fill it  
_

 _How much longer would she be here ? Chronology wasn't applicable here. She wasn't aware of its march; just a vague awareness of now was after then.  
_

 _She sat by the fire, listlessly, as there didn't seem to be anything to say or do._

 _" Tani ! "_

 _Junes !? He was here again ?_

 _" Tani ?! "_

 _It was a total surprise, as it had been previously. Even in her current confused state, Tani thought about ' then ', when she'd leapt up after hearing him call her, only for him not to be there at all_

 _This could be that all over again._

 _"_ Tani ! _"_

 _She stood, anyway, driven by some unknown pull, that she also somehow knew was her own._

 _" Junior ? Junes ?! "_

 _Turning around-_

 _She found herself embraced by him._

 _After all, nobody else would have their arms around her like he did right at this moment. She remembered those arms, and the rest of him; tough, solid, dependable.  
_

 _Tani felt very secure. As she'd been before, just like this._

 _Daring to tilt her head back, she found it was, actually, truly, him . Looking down ( technically, he was taller than her ) at her, absolutely_ delighted _. Overjoyed._

 _Like he was whole again._

 _After a moment, Tani laughed._

 _" Junes. Pleased to see me ? "  
_

 _After another moment, during which he just pressed his forehead to hers, Junior softly replied, with a soothing, but also cracking with joy, tone just for her:_

 _" You're back, Tani. You_ are _, sweetheart. Look, out there ! "_

 _Deftly, and gently, he turned her around to face the sea._

 _As the band of orange suddenly, and explosively, blossomed over the whole sky._

 _Dawn was here_

* * *

 _mpp._

 _mp  
_

 _mp_

What was that ?

An odd, _beeping_ sound.

 _mp_

 _mp_

 _mp_

What _was_ it ? Oceans don't beep. Jungles, don't beep

 _mp_

 _mp_

 _mp_

Had she blacked out again _?_ Yes, she must've. That was the only explanation. It'd happened before; it must be happening now.

Slowly, as the beeping continued, Tani began her crawl back to full awareness. It was slow; everything felt slow, like surfacing from swimming deep. But, she was getting close. The world was revealing itself again.

She saw-

Wait. Those weren't clouds, or stars, or _sky_ , at all. That was, _wood paneling_ overhead ! She was sure of it. Not sure how she was sure, but something told her, it _was !_

This wasn't that beach. This wasn't that _place !_

She was not there anymore ! She had to be-

" Tani ? Tani, its me !

Someone spoke to her, and at once, adrenaline shot through her.

 _mp, mp_ ,

She knew who that was.

" Tani, can you answer me ? Please. "

A face, suddenly leaned over her.

A _very_ familiar face. Right before her.

She recognized this face.

Now there was no doubt left, that she was back. With the _living_ , again

She reached out with a hand, and he took it.

" I love you, Junes ", and Tani felt tears sting.

It was over.

She was back.


	14. Eastern Dragon, meet Western Spear

They'd ruined it ! Completely, utterly, _ruined_ it !

How _useless_ ! How could they have _done_ this ?!

The scrolling news feed, playing out over the pristine Samsung laptop placed on the wooden cafe table, didn't lie: it told the open, unvarnished truth of what had just occurred at Straub Medical Center.

The Oahu boss of the Yakuza, watching the feed with silent, simmering rage, while his guards stood apprehensively nearby, could only watch as the story unfolded.

An assassin, sent there to eliminate one of its patients, had been killed. Officers of the HPD, joined and bolstered by those of the 5-0 task force, had succeeded in stopping the assassin from accomplishing his mission. As the clearly excited news anchor, hunkered beneath an umbrella to shelter from the still-steadily-cascading rain, dropped by the storm as it gradually fell back, continued to report, said assassin had been slain _at_ the doors of one of the hospital's recovery rooms, evidently where his target was.

He'd even gotten off a shot, evidently, but it had missed, burying itself into the wall _above_ his target. A somewhat narrow miss, only a few feet off the mark, but a miss nonetheless.

The anchor kept speaking, but the Boss had gotten enough of it by now.

Well over enough. His anger couldn't be contained any further.

Very slowly, he closed the laptop, cutting off the stream of eagerly conveyed news, as the computer clicked shut. His guards said nothing, but all of them were certain what was about to happen. Anger was emanating off him, that was no argument.

Like a steam valve about to explode.

The boss stood, looming over the laptop, sitting quietly on its table.

Then he seized it, lifted it, and threw it across the cafe as hard as he possibly could, pitching it as if it were about to detonate with eh force of a grenade. The computer soared through the air, tumbling end over end, before hitting the counter across from the wall tables. With a sharply loud _Crrrk, crssh,_ the laptop gouged out a dent into the wood, as splintered bit of its frame flew everywhere, before clattering nosily back to the floor.

All the while, the some of the guards flinched, subtly, but none of them spoke. They knew better than to do that.

" **How. Dare They** "

It wasn't a yell. It wasn't even a snarled accusation at someone. But, the thunderously angry tone, the weight of violence that was carried along with it, _that_ was enough to cause even the most stalwart of the guards to tremble, even if just a little.

Best to stay out of his way.

" They had, a _flawless_ opportunity. Everything was perfect. They had success within their grasp. "

The rant from the boss was building, slowly. But, the most volatile ones always began that way.

" And, yet, what do they do ? What do they do, with this perfect chance to finish the job they began ? "

As he spoke, the boss, circled away from the table, following the perimeter of posted guards, meeting each of their gazes, unspokenly daring them to answer him.

" What did they do ?! ", he hissed, stopping before the most formally dressed guard, his head one, who somehow managed to keep an emotionless expression.

He wasn't supposed to not answer, unlike the others, and he knew it.

" They failed, sir. "

" _They failed_ ! !", the Boss bellowed, whipping around to address the others. Again, they flinched.

Pathetic.

" Do _any_ of you, comprehend for a moment, what this means for us !? "

" _Speak_ ! "

An order was an order, and the gathered guards, realizing it at once, still hesitated a moment longer, aware they were probably provoking more of his wrath, but unsure of what to say.

Right when the Boss was about to press them again, with less control on his rage, one of them finally ventured:

" A great blow to our presence here "

" Oh, behold ! ", exclaimed the Boss, with not a small amount of sarcasm. " One of you comprehends after all ! "

His head guard moved to his side, and spoke in a low voice.

" Yoshin Rii, perhaps its best not to rebuke them so roughly. They have only shown loyalty-

For his suggestion, the guard received a swift backhand that stung like a bee. Everyone else's eybrows shot up, but that was all.

They were taking the rant better than Yoshin Rii was anticipating, and that displeased him.

" _That is not enough ! "_

 _Now_ the Boss, Yoshin Rii, was shouting. Considering that his newest failure had heaped attention onto the Yakuza, _and_ had left their greatest enemy, the 5-0 Task Force, with all its members still alive, it wasn't all that surprising that he was beside himself .

It was highly fortunate for anybody from the island chapter's assassination and covert operations branch that they weren't here right now.

Yoshin Rii wasn't concerned with that, though. Nothing clouds someone's thinking like anger, though, and didn't seem to occur to him that those present here weren't actually the ones to blame. They were _here_ , and so they were fair game.

Because he would hunt down and deal with those who'd failed him very soon, but that wasn't now, exactly. So those here would have to do.

Besides, a reminder wouldn't hurt.

" Uselessness. Failure. T _hey are one and the same_ ! Take note, all of you ! _Anyone_ , who shows either of those- "

 _Knk ! Knk Knk !_

A remarkably loud tapping sounded abruptly from the main doors, blatant carving into the overall dressing down.

 _Knk, knk, knk_ !

Someone was here ?! The irate Yoshin Rii found he had to stop, much to his already immense annoyance, with all the racket.

Electrically shocked glances shot between everyone; nobody in the Yakuza would dare demand entrance so boldly. They of the crime syndicate had their own unique way to get inside here, which wasn't just hammering on the door, obviously.

That could only be-

" _This is the Police ! Is anyone there !? Open this door_ ! "

A strong, military-cultured voice boomed from the other side.

They'd been discovered. This cafe was a crucial hideout for the chapter's presence on Oahu, and now that it'd been found out-

Someone swore out loud. It was was everyone was thinking, anyway.

" We have to move ! ", one of the guards veritably shouted. " Everyone-

He stopped just short of actually issuing an order, remembering at the last second, that it wasn't his prerogative, obviously. Just as well for him, because he'd been that close to getting some on the spot punishment.

Regardless, Yoshin promised himself to deal with that impudence soon enough. This was all a _nother_ nuisance did not need, one on top of an already highly irratating overall situation- what with police now sure to crack down on them, as _this_ was proving-, but he would keep the Yakuza afloat. Its what Shioma would've wanted.

But, they all had to get out of here first.

" This _isn'_ t done, yet ", he warned everyone, venomously. " But for now, stall them ! Then, rendezvous with me at my estate"

They were clearly apprehensive, the guards, but at least under his stern commands, they could be kept organized. As he said, the 4 of them stepped away from where they'd been standing around the cafe, hands subtly on their concealed weapons, and advanced on the door.

" Hurry up ! ", Yoshin ordered his head guard, who was hastily retrieving the hidden stash of funds tucked withing a compartment in the main counter. Money was mandatory for being on the run, even if for just a few hours.

" Get on with it ! They'll be here any second ! "

" Sir, yes, but it's quite a lot-

 _KRRRRK, KSH_ !

Courtesy of a battering ram, the doors came flying open.

3 men, with armored vests, badges, and armed with handguns, flooded through the gap.

" **Hands** ! ", Steve McGarrett roared. " **Hands up** ! "

Against most criminals ( those with common sense, which is a bit of a paradox, as that would therefore mean they weren't criminals at all ), such a imposingly issued command would've gotten them on their knees. But, the guards, though stunned as they were by the bold breaching action and the order, were more afraid of their boss.

So, they shot back.

 _Bwp !_

 _Bwp ! Bwp_ !

A volley of pistol shots flew downrange, as the guards opened up.

" Taking fire ! _Engage_ ! "

His own weapon blazing, Steve yelled out, as he and his posse dove for cover. Danno managed to land a hit as he did, and a guard fell dead, a hole drilled through his chest.

More shots pounded back from the guards, smashing many bits of wood and tile through the air.

Grover jack in the box-ed up, fired, and covered again.

" I'd say Jerry was right about that burner phone's call being connected to here ! ", he observed. " This is their den, alright ! "

" Reeally ? I could've been fooled. "

Danno's own brand of impudence was unmistakable. Grover opted to just let him enjoy it.

" Yeah, but where's their ringleader ?! ", Steve called, noting as he took a quick glance out of cover to shoot, grazing a guard's ribs, and noting that there was a rather nice Samurai Helmet mounted on the main counter, which would fit nicely in his own home.

" Anyone have eyes on Yoshin Rii ? "

Danno took another look downrange.

" Think we chased him out, and you know what that means ! "

* * *

They were out. They were out, and clear.

Sprinting down the alley, through the conveniently- unrelenting rain, having crashed out the rear cafe doors, Yoshin Rii and his head guard, Mirukai Shioma, were sure they'd made good their escape.

The staccato orchestra of pistol fire from behind them was another way of saying " Get out of here _yesterday_ , or you'll be dead, or handcuffed ". Yoshin didn't put much stock on his guards actually winning that fight; yes, it would be a welcome surprise if they did, but when had criminals on this island ever done well against the aggravatingly tough members off that Task Force ?

If any of them lived, _somehow_ , they'd have to make their own way out, again somehow. Those were the orders he'd given. If they could do anything right, that would have to be it.

And then, it'd be on to deal with the useless-ness of the assassination branch.

Yes, that had to be next to be dealt with.

So they ran, Mirukai with a satchel laden with tens of thousands of dollars, toward the Lincoln Continental parked at the end of it.

A bulletproof precaution. There, they'd be home free

" Go, go ! ", Yohsin yelled. " Take the wheel ! "

They were almost there-

" Got the keys right- " Mirukai called.

 _Wzzzpt !_

" Hng ! "

 _Thmp_

A gunshot fired from afar.

A grunt of pain.

Someone hitting the ground.

There was no mistaking any of those sounds. Stunned, Yoshin whipped around-

Mirukai lay dead, sprawled on the soaking asphalt. The satchel lay next to him.

Blood was forming a pool around his head, mixing with the rain.

For the first moment in a long while, fear gripped Yonshii, with cold fingers, as he looked upon what had just happened.

He was a Yakuza boss. Fear was an unknown for those like him. He'd been _raging_ at those in the cafe just now, as Shioma would've done, as befitting a syndicate boss -

Well, that wasn't now. Because now, someone had slain his escort, and now he had to be next. There was nowhere to hide.

" No, no, no no, ! "

From within his coat, he drew his own weapon, a elaborately decorated Desert Eagle, and pointed it at where the shot must've come from, backpedaling toward the car.

He pointed it from side to side, searching frantically for a target along the alley's roofs.

The rain was in the way, though.

Where had the shot come from ?

" This is unfitting for one of Shioma's disciples ! ", he protested, though nobody was around to listen. It was just the sniper out there, whoever and wherever he was.

Yoshin stayed there for several moments more, on pins and needles. It was a immensely bad idea, to stay in the open like this, but Yoshin was suddenly as angry as he was nervous. Who dared fire upon him from a distance, rather than face him !

" Come forth ! Face me ! ", he yelled, only partially keeping his tone from quaking.

How dare anyone ! How dare someone strike such fear into him, having him caught in the open like this, at the whim of a hidden gunman ! They must either face him face to face, or nothing !

Speaking of nothing, though, that's what happened, though. He didn't fire again.

Not one to look gift horses in the mouth, Yohsin glanced at the satchel.

Something could come from all this.

He lunged for it.

And never reached it.

The duo of 7.62mm rounds that buried themselves in his own chest saw to that.

As did the one immediately following it, that nailed his head.

Struck by a perfect Mozambique drill, he fell.

To be quickly surrounded by blood, and water.

* * *

On the rooftop of the cafe, having scaled its drainage pipe and moved into a perfect firing position by the edge of the 2x4, plaster cluttered surface ( which was all now drenched and brimming with rain ), the sniper, his tarpaulin hood streaming liquid off it, finally pulled back from his scope.t

Smoke curled upwards from the muzzle of his G28. He exhaled, releasing air, as there was no need not to anymore. After all, nothing could be allowed to ruin his shot.

And nothing had.

The job was done. The _real_ puppet-master, the one who'd pulled the strings of those who'd been sent to kill his woman, not once, but _twice (_ as if once would be any less unforgivable ), had paid the ultimate price. Him, and his lackey.

Target of opportunity, that one.

The sniper had a badge to his name, as did the the men who'd stormed the cafe itself, but right now, for _this_ , he wasn't an officer at all.

This, what'd he done, wasn't about justice, or enforcing the law, even if you could argue it was. Not fully, at the very least.

What it really was: out and out revenge. Giving someone their richly deserved desserts, with icing and a strawberry on top.

Besides, justice and revenge can often be the same. Except, for cases like this, when the revenge side dominates.

The sniper was fine with that.

Keying his radio, he contacted the men within the cafe:

" Dragon slain ", Junior Reigns reported.

" Repeat: Dragon, slain ".


	15. Wrapped in a bow

A few days after the storm

5-0 Palace

* * *

" All in all, that last case ? It _might_ actually have been one of the most tolerable days on the job with you, Steve. And there've been a lot of days. "

Danno, leaning with shameless nonchalance against the inner wall of McGarrett's office, was once again, back to offering his usual brand of half sincere, half New Jersey commentary on past events, and the current state of things, while Steve manned his desk, chin supported by one hand, the other tapping repeatedly at his desktop's keyboard, and skating its mouse around.

Checking emails, Danno guessed. Probably one of the very few things Steve did that didn't involve hamfisted, reckless action.

Or maybe it it did. This was Steve, after all. 6 years of working day in, day out with that man, Danno had long ago realized that Steve just had way about him.

Oh, well. The world needed loose cannons, as much as it needed fixed and stable ones.

" _Is it_ ? And what, might I ask, compels you to say so ? ". Steve didn't look up from the screen, but at least he wasn't ignoring Danno's words of wisdom, as was his usual habit.

" Well-"

" Hold up. It was that we properly kicked the legs out from under the main Yakuza presence on this island, leaving them in a bit of a disorganized state until they can sort out who'll take the crown , so to speak ? "

" Actually-"

" Oh, wait, wait, I got it ". Steve held a hand up.

" Its that my knights in shining armor- that's all of you, by the way- and myself, saved one of our own from a dastardly crime syndicate hitman ? "

"-"

With a note of aggravating smugness, Steve reached his conclusion

" _Or_ , is it that- and this is just a guess here, just to be clear- both of those, all wrapped up in a bow ? "

At that, Steve leaned backwards in his chair, crossing arms behind his head, now sporting a classically smug smirk.

He quirked an eyebrow at the rather-annoyed ( again; if Steve had been paid a cent for every time that expression crossed Danno's face, he could've retired to an island estate by now ) Danno, now frowning at him, with arms crossed.

" Really. You derailed it all, Steve. I had that _all_ ready to go ". Danno huffed, shaking his head, flipping a hand dismissively at the SEAL. " Thanks. "

Sarcasm just improved Steve's mood when he was sure he was right, and both of them knew it. Danno wished he could stop from giving Steve more smugness ammo, but he was from New Jersey, after all, so it was pretty much an essential part of him.

Yet another gripe. Well, at least he could still get along with him, astonishingly.

How had they gotten through those 6 years, anyway ?

" Allright ", Danno pushed off the wall, deciding to switch to a more neutral tack. It was the only course of action, with Steve anyway.

" Any word on Mr Noshimuri ? "

It'd been tempting to refer to him as " Our Former Anti-Organized Crime Unit leader ", but Steve had taken the failure that had turned out to be rather personally, Danno knew. It was arguably one of the few calls of Steve's past that was actually bad, as in one that should've have been made. Without either of them having to rehash the details, it was still agreed, between them, that Steve resented himself for putting someone into a spot they probably should've have been in at all, well meaning though that call had been.

Danno would taunt the SEAL with all manner of things, but he had to have a stopping line, somewhere.

Still, Steve's mood had dropped, by a few marks. He uncrossed his arms, and though he didn't lean forward again, he was a little more somber now.

"Nothing new ", he admitted heavily, shaking his head slightly. " All the evidence against him is, as we know, circumstantial. We have no leads to chase, and with the aforementioned evidence just circumstantial, any case against him won't hold up. He's got good lawyers, you know. Anyone from a crime family does. "

Danno knew that, of course. The Mob had locked horns with him more than once back on the East Coast, and in a lot of ways, they were as bad as the Yakuza.

" The Governor ( not TWD ) knows this, all of it. So does the Arizona State Police. They're watching him anyway, but HPD's already considering this to basically be a cold case. 5-0 still is mandated to pursue any, and all leads, but as I said- "

" Its a void. "

He trailed off, letting the hand he'd been using to gesture hit the desk. A frustrated expression crossed his face.

Danno understood. They both hated cold cases; the more of a link you had to it, the worse.

 _Stuck in the mud_

 _But, maybe-_

" Its best left unsolved. We have to see it through, I know that, that's our obligation, but, its at the back of the mind, right ? You know, the dark side section. "

" Hm ? "

Danno now realized he's spoken aloud. Steve had quirked an eyebrow at him, again, along with a surprised expression.

Exactly what about he'd just said that'd provoked that, he wasn't sure though.

 _Oh, wait. Wait, I think I do_

Steve said nothing. Just, propped his chin on a hand again, looked off to one side.

" Getting a bit rebellions there for a moment, Danno "

He was serious, but all the way grave. It was a hint that he was thinking along similar lines. It would seem those 6 years had rubbed off on both of them, both ways.

 _Dangerous territory. How'd we even get here ? Best not to go any further. I am still a cop. And before I forget, so is he. He knows that._

 _Still, its a thought. Just a thought._

Opting to get back to more neutral ground, Steve changed tack:

" The rookies, Danno. Any word on how they're doing ?"

He crossed his arms again, letting the smirk return.

" I _did_ give them a mini-vacation, after all, if that's what we're calling Tani's recovery."

The Jersey Man seemed to prefer the change of subject as well, as he took the turn of raising an eyebrow, along with a rather bemused smirk.

" Come on, Steve. You know they're kind of, well, _busy_ right now. "

* * *

It was turning out to be rather easy to roast fish over a fire.

And by a culinary rook, to boot.

Technically, Junior Reigns hadn't actually done it before. To be honest, he had not done much cooking at all over the course of his adult life, as a lot of it had been spent thus far receiving the MRE and mess hall fare in the ranks of the United States Navy ( and technically-again-he was still in it, albeit its Reserves ).

These days though, there were more hours for him to spend in a day as he choose. Working for 5-0, as intense and demanding as its day to day cases and ops tended to be, still generally didn't tend to keep him out in the midst of a field ( metaphorically and otherwise ) each day as the life of an active-deployed Special Ops solider, at least in his experience.

Which gave him more chances, to learn a few new skills, get the hang of some more, recreational pastimes.

Such as the surprisingly enjoyably experience, of fire roasting fresh caught seafood, he's just discovered.

Surrounded by volcanic, ebony sand, with the sea stubbornly lapping and nibbling at said sand, the sky morphing into the various orange shades of evening, and the air riding the middle lane between warm and cold, he was seated before a crackling and snapping fire. A portable metal cooking frame, its bars singed by the flames, had been placed over it, housing several reddened slices of an Ono fish that had been captured from the ocean.

Junior would've been more proud of both how the impressively sized fish had been taken down, or how well ( so far, at least ), it seemed to be cooking itself to a prime at the touch of the steadily burning fire.

Well, he could take _some_ , at least. He was here, cooking it with with what could easily be called decent proficiency.

But, the rest of it-

" Doing pretty well, honey. For you, anyway. "

" Hmm. I seem to have actually turned you into a quasi-cook ! "

The best voice in the world carried into his right ear:

 _Tani's_.

Relaxed. A little teasing, but in the best way possible.

And with an unmistakable undercurrent of affection running through it.

It was accompanied, by a very familiar by now sensation, of her skin against his. Her knee touched his, as she seated herself beside him, letting her shoulder and side press into his as she leaned firmly against him.

A few stands of her hair touched his neck, brushed there by the breeze.

A wonderful scent hung about them: ocean air and salt

" Have you , by any chance , switched to a new shampoo, Tani ? , Junior smirked, turning over one of the fillets. " Or were out there even _longer_ than I realized ? "

His jabs were countered by a half hearted poke in the ribs, clearly aimed at getting him to yelp.

He did, just to get her to chuckle, which she did.

"Playing to the stereotypes, Mister ? Better watch out; that's dangerous . " , Tani admonished.

She said that the way you would with a smile on your face, though, very obviously, and when Junior, stifling a chuckle, turned to look at her, he found that was the case indeed.

 _There's no question at all, if there ever was: You want a lady with a real smile  
_

" Well, speaking of dangerous, I couldn't help but watch you stand-up-surfing out there. Aren't, you know, supposed to be taking it easy ? "

He was in a soaring mood, but that last query had another message with it, and though Junior didn't want to let the emotions with that other message show on his face, it seemed he didn't entirely succeed.

 _I can't stop that. Danno was right. Of course he was right._

 _You're on the road to being fully back to where you were, Tani. I want to help you stay there, but I can't restrain you from enjoying life. Sensibly, of course._

Predictably, Tani read him like an open book. Her smile, thankfully, didn't go away, but it shifted, to something more, well-

Reassuring.

When she spoke, her tone reflected that. She really did understand him, thoroughly, inside and out.

" Got to stay on the move every day, honey " Tani gently reminded him. " Just a little wave riding. Its what I enjoy, and when it comes to recovery, that's half the point; its work, but you have to love it. "

How does she do it, Junior pondered, flipping another fillet.

How did she manage to, well, basically lecture him, but not come off as actually lecturing ?

Probably nobody else would get that from her. And of course, she was right.

" I suppose,you may be right. ", he admitted, with a slight shrug.

 _Thmp !_ Tani whacked his shoulder.

" Don't get all snippy with me ! You know I am right. As usual "

Well, yes, she was.

" Ohh. "

Junior chuckled again

" Well, I beg your pardon, your majesty. "

His jibe was responded to, not with words, but with action: Tani outright tackled him, with impressive dexterity for someone who'd been shot recently. To be honest, it wasn't actually hard enough to rock Junior over- he was bigger than her, as well as taller- but, predictably, he let her win.

" Uff ! "

His back hit the sand, and he found himself staring up at her. The beautiful former lifeguard was sitting on this thighs.

" Ahem. Tani. The, well, the fish-

" Oh, stop worrying. They'll be _fine, for_ another few minutes at least "

" You've, well, kind of got me trapped, though. "

" Good. Now you can't get away. And, now you have to listen to me. "

It was that amazing tone of hers; half serious, half not. You couldn't be sure which way it would go, until she spoke further. It was fascinating.

And of course, Junior wanted to listen.

" Ok, if you demand so." He took the opportunity to grasp her wrists, and carefully eased himself up to a sitting position though Tani did not let herself move, firmly gripping his shoulders.

" You have an audience . "

" For, what, though, might I ask ? "

" Shh ! ", she ordered.

Junior did so.

After another moment, of ocean waves wssh, wsshing onto the sand, Tani told him, what they both knew, but hadn't been spoken:

" You know, I am _ok_. I am not about to _die_ , and nobody is coming for me, or us. You have me _right_ here, you know I am alright, and you're still worried sick about me. "

Her tone was back in that other tone, the soft, reassuring one.

Junior's favorite.

" You love me, and that's what drove you so _crazy_ at heart, every second I was laid up in that hospital. Every _second_ , I was there, it was tearing you up ".

Emotion was seeping into her speech now. The raw, touched kind.

Junior didn't wonder why he was kind of feeling the same way.

" Tani. How do you- "

" Grover told me. He guarded my room, while you, Steve, and Danny chased the Yakuza to their lair. He told me everything. He told me how much pain you were in, how much it was all hurting you. You thought I'd be gone forever, and you couldn't do a thing. You thought you couldn't save me. "

Speechless. Junior hadn't been before but he was now.

" You're wrong, Junior. It may not have been when I was supposed to go, but you were _there_ , when I thought it was. I thought I was about to really die, but then I saw _you_ , in that place, that _place_ I was in , that wasn't death or living. "

Tani let her head bow, and her forehead met his, hiding her face from view, though her voice had grown thick with the last few words.

Junior felt his own pulse speed up a little more.

He reflexively bit his lower lip.

" You told me you loved me. You'd always be here for me, that you'd be mine. I couldn't, I wouldn't let that go. I have reasons to live, but I just saw _you_ , there. _You_ , were _there_ for me. "

Tani trembled a little then, getting close to a state of tears. Junior didn't want for her to fight that.

She didn't. Her eyes were closed, and a few tears did run from from, as she reached the end of what she had to tell him:

" That's, what I want. _You_ , are who I want. I love you. "

The SEAL she was speaking to, couldn't say anything. He was a bit emotional himself, which he blamed on her, and rightly so.

Still, a few things came to mind to say to her, and he would've said them. He wanted, badly, to, but-

Well, it was the kiss she planted on his mouth that stopped him.

It was a ' hands had found their way around the back of his neck, pulling him close , making a statement that she truly did love him ', kind of kiss.

And ' the whole universe disappears while it lasts ', as well.

Then, it slowly came back, as they pulled back, mostly just to breathe. Exhaling, Junior looked at her face.

Love

Sadness

Joy

Optimism

Trust

Like an emotional mirror.

They'd come this far in life, together. Her still being here, alive, must, Junior prayed, a signal they had many more years ahead

Well, years wasn't now. 5-0, wasn't even now. Nothing, except _them_ , was now.

A smile of outright joy was on Junior's face, and like a mirror, his companion was soon doing the same.

She laughed, lingering tears and all. A _glorious_ sound.

" Well, Tani Rey, I must confess: I love you too. And for the record:"

" You want me, you got me ".

So, as dusk simmered on over the island, and the fire crackled nearby.

They kissed again.

Residing in their own kingdom.


End file.
